How a Lawyer Can Beat a Red Light Ticket

With more than 22% of all traffic accidents in this country caused by drivers running red lights, it’s no wonder many municipalities are issuing more red light tickets than ever. Many of these are issued by arresting officers, but many others are issued in states that have legalized red light camera tickets. Either way, it can be difficult to dispute a ticket when the evidence is generally black and white, or rather, red and green. However, traffic violation attorneys are both knowledgeable and experienced in handling these kinds of cases and may be able to provide the representation a defendant needs to fight such charges.

Disputing the Arresting Officer

Many elements of an arresting officer’s charge and testimony may be disputed if the defendant can produce effective evidence to do so. Police officers are not infallible, and while they are trained to know the law and apply it accurately, there may be times when they make improper arrests. If a defendant can bring their testimony into question, they may be able to have their case dismissed.

Their observations: if there are other witnesses who can present another view of the circumstances, and their testimony can be backed up by evidence, the judge may drop the charges. That evidence may include pictures of the scene showing the following:

The officer did not have a good view of the intersection

The officer could have stopped the wrong vehicle, if there were curves or turns between the light and the location of the arrest

The light may have been working improperly and the officer was not aware of the confusion

If the officer was behind the driver, they would have been unable to determine when the driver’s car entered the intersection

Their conclusions: The yellow light may have been shorter than usual, making it unsafe for the driver to stop

Extenuating Circumstances

Whiles judges rarely accept excuses that are not life threatening, some extenuating circumstances may justify a driver going through a red light.

The driver was going through a familiar intersection that formerly had no traffic signal and the traffic light was just installed.

The driver saw a driver behind them preparing to “run” the light and were afraid of being hit from behind

If the roads were wet or icy and the light turned red too quickly to give the driver time to stop safely, the judge may dismiss the case

If a large semi-trailer truck or ambulance is in front of a driver, they may be unable to see the light and determine that it has turned red until it is too late to stop

Often, the most important thing a defendant and their attorney can do to prevent a conviction for running a red light is to create some doubt in the mind of the judge.

Getting Legal Help in Fighting a Red Light Ticket

Since a red light ticket can be a question of the arresting officer’s word against that of the defendant, it can be impossible to fight such a ticket without the expertise of a traffic ticket lawyer. They know what strategies have helped other drivers, and they can analyze a client’s case to determine if those same strategies will work for them. In other situations, it may be a simple matter of looking for loopholes in the wording of the ticket or in the timing of the court date. Those kinds of details are often unfamiliar to a nonprofessional, but traffic attorneys can formulate the perfect plan to meet the needs of their client in clearing their record.

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