Traffic Ticket Team » Traffic Tickets

How to Fight a Traffic Ticket

jason — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:43:03 +0000

It happens to all of us at one time or another – the dreaded traffic ticket. One minute you could be making great time on your morning commute, and the next minute you see those flashing lights in your rear view mirror indicating the need to pull over. One momentary lapse in judgment shouldn’t mean that your driving record be tarnished for years to come; learning how to fight a traffic ticket can ensure that you don’t pay a big fine or have to pay more for insurance.

The first thing to remember is to be polite and respectful to the officer who pulls you over. Being sarcastic or saying things like “my taxes pay for your salary, ” will not go over well and may in fact get you into even more trouble. Answer all of the officer’s questions in a direct manner and don’t attempt to get out of your vehicle unless specifically asked to do so.

Another important thing to remember is not to admit guilt or come up with outrageous excuses. When the officer asks if you know why you were pulled over, answer with a simple, “No I do not officer.” Let them explain to you in detail what your offense is. If you were caught speeding, make sure they tell you the speed that you were going, and what the posted speed limit actually is.

Be sure to get the officer’s name and badge number as you will need it if you go to court. Also, if they offense is speeding, ask very detailed questions about the device they used to determine your speed. Find out where the officer was located and check to make sure that speed limits are clearly posted. If not, take pictures of the area you were driving in as proof that you were not sure what the limit was.

Sometimes, asking very detailed, specific questions may deter the officer from appearing in court; they may determine that it’s just not worth the effort and with all of the evidence that you have gathered, a judge will rule in your favor. Officers have to come to court on their own time, and they may very well prefer to golf that day. If the officer does not appear, then your ticket is automatically deemed null and void.

If the officer does appear, and this is your first offense then chances are you can still win your case. The judge may decide to lessen the charge so you don’t have to pay as much or lose your license. Depending on what the offense is, you may want to hire a lawyer. There are also organizations owned by former police officers that can give you advice and help you fight your ticket. You will have to decide whether it is worth the extra money you will need to spend on this type of assistance.

Whether you hire a lawyer or decide to represent yourself, it’s critical that you be prepared for your court date. Get as much information as possible and know what you are going to say to the judge. File a motion of discovery as soon as you get your ticket; this is your right to know all of the evidence that is being presented against you and will help you build your case. You can’t fight what you don’t know.

The judge may be willing to lessen or dismiss your charge if you indicate that you are willing to go to traffic school. Check with your local jurisdiction to see if this is an option in your area. A refresher course is always a good idea and will help to prevent further tickets and offenses. It may be your best strategy in how to fight a traffic ticket. Call us NOW 954-967-9888 www.TrafficTicketTeam.com to fight your traffic ticket in Florida.

DMV System Crashes

jason — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:51:34 +0000

Traffic Ticket Team

Intermittent outages of the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles mainframe servers have led to system crashes at driver’s license offices across the state, making already long waits even longer for frustrated customers. ”All I’m doing is sitting here waiting,” said Jeff Gilman, who arrived at the DMV office on Military Trail at about noon Friday and was still waiting to be served four hours later, along with about 60 other people. The system has been unstable since Nov. 3 and it has been declared it a critical situation, said Courtney Heidelberg, DMV’s deputy communications director. The problem has not been fixed yet, she said. Customers at DMV offices were already facing long waits because of tougher ID requirements for obtaining licenses since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Although Gilman said officials offered to let people make appointments to come back another day because of the sporadic outages, he said he was concerned he’d just run into the same problems again. The lengthy wait times were exacerbated at the Deerfield office because its two bathrooms were out of order most of the afternoon. ”The bathroom backed up and the sewage came up out of the floor,” said Uranius Cruz, of Deerfield Beach, who arrived at the office at 11:30 a.m. and wasn’t finished until 3:45 p.m. Scott Vincent, of Margate, came to the Deerfield DMV office Friday after stopping by the Margate office first. ”The line was even longer in Coral Springs,” said Vincent, who arrived at 2:30 p.m. and planned to stay as late as necessary. Officials said anyone in line as of 5 p.m. would be seen. The Traffic Ticket Team is aware of the problem and trying to help people in a similar situation. If you get a traffic ticket, call the www.trafficticketteam.com, Jason Diamond, Diamond, Kistner & Diamond, 954-967-9888. Let us Fight your Traffic Ticket. Do not pay that traffic ticket, fight back.

Getting a License Just Got Harder

jason — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:10:35 +0000

Traffic Ticket Team www.TrafficTicketTeam.com

A visit to the driver’s license office has always been a little slice of hell. Now it’s gotten even worse. Florida’s strict new identity requirements for license renewal are steering drivers to new heights of confusion, costing them time from work, sending them on laborious paper chases and forcing return trips to the dreaded DMV. ”It’s very frustrating,” said Harmony Hoot, of Lake Worth who, along with her fiancé recently was on her third attempt in a day to renew his license. “I’ll admit I was yelling. There were some profanities.” The source of Hoot’s woe: A new state law that went into effect Jan. 1 requiring drivers to provide more documentation before renewing a license. Where formerly you needed only to produce your old license to get a new one, you must now cough up more solid identification such as a birth certificate or passport. Further proof is required in the form of a Social Security card. If the flimsy card has disintegrated in your wallet over the past decades, a W-2 tax form or paycheck bearing the nine magic numbers will do. But that’s not all. The state demands not one, but two proofs of residency bearing your address, which can be a utility bill, mortgage statement or vehicle registration or title. Parents can accompany minor drivers and attest to their residency as long as the parent has the required proof of address. Married women using their husband’s name will need to produce a marriage certificate. ”I was not told I need a marriage certificate just to renew my license,” said a disheartened Lucy Garcia, of Tamarac, who for a second time was turned away from the license office in Lauderhill. “Who knows how much longer I’m going to be coming here?” But at least the Lauderhill office had staffers out front to cull from the herd people who lacked sufficient documentation, sparing them a wait in line. The documentation requirements are part of the REAL ID Act passed by Congress in 2005 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The hijackers used false identification, including Florida driver’s licenses. A majority of states has refused to comply with the act, and federal authorities have postponed until mid-2011 a deadline for it to take effect. Gary Biller, director of the National Motorists Association, a driver’s advocacy group, said the new requirements are too extreme. However, if you get caught speeding, you should call the Traffic Ticket Team, www.trafficticketteam.com, to fight your Florida Traffic Ticket. Call us anytime to fight your traffic ticket at 954-967-9888, Law Offices of Jason A. Diamond, P.A. and Diamond, Kistner & Diamond.

Speeding Ticket Application for the I-Phone

jason — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:41:49 +0000

Traffic Ticket Team www.trafficticketteam.com

A popular phone app could help you avoid a pricey speeding ticket. Sounds like the kind of program police wouldn’t embrace, but that’s not necessarily the case. When Art Acevedo took over as Austin police chief, one of his first orders of business was to eliminate the daily news releases about where APD was running radar. However, the Travis County Sheriff’s office is embracing new technology and the concept that the more information the public has, the safer the roads will be. It’s not uncommon to see law enforcement officers armed with radar guns aimed at oncoming drivers. Now with a simple check of the app on a 3-G phone or by going on line, Central Texas drivers can know in advance where deputies with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office will be running radar. ”It’s simply a way for us to communicate with the public the areas where they need to slow down and comply with the speed laws. The added benefit is notifying people if there is some change in the road conditions that affects their safe driving,” said Roger Wade, the public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The Trapster App also alerts drivers to flooded roadways or accidents that could delay their trip, but the main focus is on radar detection. ”The bottom line is we want to make the roads safer for Travis County and this is another tool that will do that,” said Wade. The question seems to be whether it’s better to let the public know where radar is being run or not. Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo prefers not to give advance notice. ”It kind of defeats the purpose of being out there,” said Acevedo. “We want people to know that we were working it but telling them the specific roadways was a little counterproductive for us.” Drivers we spoke to were split. ”Yeah I think it is a good idea and I probably would use it,” said John Egan. ”If you know we are running late for work or if I am in a hurry, we would want to know there is going to be a cop around the corner. I will slow down,” said Sean Munoz. ”Some people are going to have radar detectors anyway and they are going to find out if they want to find out,” said Diane from Austin. “But most people are not going to take the time to look into something.” Drivers can add data to Trapster, just like the Travis County Sheriff’s office does — but if it’s inaccurate, it can be taken down. By the way, Roger Wade tells us his office doesn’t make any money off Trapster. The app is free of charge. However, if you get caught speeding, you should call the Traffic Ticket Team, www.trafficticketteam.com, to fight your Florida Traffic Ticket. Call us anytime to fight your traffic ticket at 954-967-9888, Law Offices of Jason A. Diamond, P.A. and Diamond, Kistner & Diamond.

Is It Time To Give Up Your License?

jason — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:34:12 +0000

We all remember when we got our driver’s license. It’s one of life’s great moments, a giant step toward adulthood. Decades later comes a related rite of passage that generates considerably less enthusiasm: the day you stop driving. Most older drivers are aware when that time is approaching. They recognize their diminishing skills; maybe they have a close call or sometimes can’t find the way home. Most relinquish their keys or make concessions to age and adjust their driving patterns. But others, no matter how many times they get lost, blow stop signs or get honked at by fellow motorists, want to keep that grip on the wheel. ”I think most people understand the point when it’s unsafe for them to drive,” says Moraine Byrne, senior vice president for Covenant Retirement Communities, a nonprofit organization. ”They’re more often afraid they might hurt someone else. They make the decision on their own or cut way back.” Giving up driving can be difficult. People fear a loss of independence and the ability to participate in longtime activities. They worry about being able to do their shopping, visit friends or keep doctor appointments. All good points, all needing to be addressed during any family discussion. ”Unless there’s a real emergency, I recommend the family plan to start the conversation slowly,” Byrne suggests. “Ask questions, [don't] come in with a set plan in mind, but come in with an open mind so the parent doesn’t feel they’re being attacked. You really need to have several conversations, unless there is an emergency situation. You have to have respect for a parent’s position.” When the evidence is in, the family may realize that stopping cold turkey isn’t warranted. If a person’s skills are only starting to erode, there are alternatives. Curtail higher-risk driving situations, for example. Recent research from the MIT AgeLab and The Hartford found that 69 percent of drivers older than 75 and 58 percent of those 65 to 74 self-regulate their driving. That means avoiding driving at night or rush hour, taking only familiar routes, limiting trips to a certain distance, and keeping off expressways and highways. Then there are classes where older drivers can brush up on their skills. AARP (aarp.com) offers a classroom and online course aimed at older drivers. ”I’ve known several people who have taken it who said it helped them remain focused and helped them to think differently,” Byrne says. “I’ve looked at the course work, and it looks like a tremendous program.” Stress fitness. Research by the National Institute on Aging, published in 2008 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, suggests that physical conditioning helps maintain the performance of older drivers, decreasing errors by more than a third. The test subjects participated in an exercise program to improve flexibility, coordination and speed of movement relevant to driving. Even with those efforts, a driver’s deterioration is sometimes unmistakable. Pop cruises the expressway at 25 miles an hour, or pulls into the garage without bothering to open the garage door first. Problems can also be less obvious. Has pop’s insurance rate increased? Has he received recent traffic tickets? Inspect the car; are there fresh and/or unexplained dents? Does driving leave him exhausted or frazzled? Does he take medication that might affect his driving? If Mom, Dad or a Grandparent gets a ticket and you still want her or him to drive, please feel free to call the Traffic Ticket Team,www.trafficticketteam.com, at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation.

Driver’s License Examiner Sent to Prison

jason — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:41:10 +0000

Another driver’s license examiner has surrendered to begin serving a prison term in a conspiracy in which examiners took payoffs to obtain driver’s licenses for more than 1,500 illegal immigrants. Chenita Byrd-Mosley, 30, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation or reward and conspiracy to commit official misconduct. Byrd-Mosley will serve 18 months in prison, followed by three years probation. Each of the two charges was punishable by up to five years. Debbie Hunter-Collins, 43, of Delray Beach, pleaded guilty last month and will surrender July 12 to serve a two-year prison term, followed by three years of probation. Prosecutors have said at least seven examiners at the Delray Beach Driver’s License office were part of the scheme. They say at least six conspirators generated fake immigration documents, then directed applicants to examiners who would wave them through, often without requiring driving or written tests. At $1,200 to $2,500 per license, the conspirators may have pocketed several million dollars, prosecutors say. Investigators haven’t ruled out that more examiners and conspirators were involved. Examiner Melita Dera Zilea, 28, of Coral Springs, already has been sentenced to three years in prison, followed by two years of probation. And co-worker Jashonda Kaliha Scott, 25, of Palm Springs, got two years in prison followed by three years of probation. Examiner Patreese Harvey, 29, of Palm Springs, is scheduled to make a plea and is expected to also receive prison time and probation. The remaining two examiners, Maggie Nelson, 47, of Delray Beach, and Osie Carter, 49, Boynton Beach, are set for trial March 2. So are four alleged conspirators: Jonex Moise, 35, of Boynton Beach; Rene Clairvoyant, 57, of Boca Raton; Willy Adam, 52, of suburban Lake Worth; and Lorigene Jean Baptiste, 41, of West Palm Beach. Alex Adrien, then 42, of Delray Beach, was arrested in April 2009 and eventually deported to Haiti. Two suspected conspirators remain at large. If you think you need an attorney for a related case, please call the traffic ticket team at 954-967-9888 or go to www.traffictcketteam.com