My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. – Steve Jobs

These are prophetic words considering that Jobs was arguably one of modern America’s most prolific innovators who died at the relatively young age of 55. Yet in that somewhat short lifetime, as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple, Inc.; co-founder and CEO of Pixar; and founder and CEO of NeXT, Inc., he managed to change the way Americans think about and use technology. Some of the most commonplace electronic items that we use every day to communicate and transact business would never have come into existence had it not first been conceived in mind of Jobs, or tweaked by him to become a better product. Although there has been much controversy over many of Jobs’ business practices, few can deny that the magnitude of success he obtained could not have been achieved without certain attributes. One of these attributes that is apparent to me was his obvious gift of time management and his appreciation of the value of time. Without these, the valuable tools and processes that he designed or helped to create would not exist. This type of philosophy is true for any achievement; however, the value of time is not only important to the world’s great innovators.

No matter your station in life, no matter your goals, we all have daily lives that need to be managed. Even though time can be construed as an ethereal concept, it is that by which humans operate. When we sleep, when we eat, when we play, and when we buckle down and get to work are all dictated by time. Consequently, most of us don’t have the luxury of wiling away the hours of our day with reckless abandon. In fact, for many of us, time is at a premium so wasting it in an effort to navigate the tremendous traffic that is often found on South Florida roadways can be a frustrating experience. It is that frustration that often leads to the volumes of traffic tickets, most often speeding tickets, that are issued here. You get in the car and just want to get to that business luncheon or make your 8 a.m. meeting, but a sea of bumpers and brake lights sits between you and your appointment. Weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating, or lean on the gas pedal a bit too much seems all too tempting. The problem is those pesky cops and their radar guns. One minute you are making good time and think that you might even have time to grab a cup of coffee, and the next minute you are seeing spots before your eyes as a result of the flashing lights on the police car that’s behind you. Considering that it looks like he is riding on your bumper, there’s no doubt that you are who he is after. There goes your meeting, and there goes your quick cup of joe. This is not going to be quick.

If this is not your first speeding ticket, you realize that this is going to take a while. If it is your first speeding ticket, you might as well get comfortable because you’re not going anywhere for a bit. Police officers do this all day long. Just like you methodically adding up a column of numbers, fielding telephone calls, or whatever elements of your job you have to work through during your day, he is going to do that same – fulfilling his daily work routine. The traffic stop is just the beginning of the time that you will have to expend upon this speeding ticket process, especially if you choose to fight your traffic citation in court. Many people don’t realize the time and effort that this process consumes. When you go to court there is a lot of standing around, sitting around, and just generally waiting. Those who work within the court system are just like the cop, simply filling their day without regard to your needs to fulfill yours. That is just a small part of the time that a speeding ticket will cost you. If you plan to launch a successful defense, there is going to be a lot of homework involved. You need to document everything such as the condition of the roadway you were on, time of day, and what the weather was like. You also need to look over you traffic ticket very closely to make sure that the police officer didn’t make any errors. Even if he did, they are not always easy to catch for the average driver. If you do find a mistake, that is no guarantee that your ticket will be dismissed, but it could help in some circumstances. Additionally, you will need to research the Florida general statute that governs speeding or whatever offense for which have you have been cited. These statutes are not always easy to find and often unclear to someone who is not trained in the field of traffic law. At this point, you sure could use a good traffic attorney.

In lieu of a hiring a traffic attorney, once you do appear in court, you should request that your speeding ticket be dismissed or at least reduced. Going into court prepared and sounding like you know what you are talking about by doing your homework may work in your favor here. You should, however, keep in mind that there are other considerations such as your attitude or your appearance. If you show up and are not dressed decently or you have a chip on your shoulder, the judge or hearing officer is probably going to feel that you don’t respect the court or the system and deny your request. Even being well-prepared and respectful may not ensure a positive outcome. Just like with other positions of power, some traffic court judges can have little concern for the plight of those appearing before them. Maybe the judge is jaded after hearing excuse after excuse or maybe he or she just takes pleasure in wielding the power that their position affords them. Either way, just like cops who like writing speeding tickets, there are judges who like seeing the “offender” pay the consequences.

It shouldn’t be this difficult to defend yourself, but when you are dealing with a bureaucracy you just have to be patient and knowledgeable. You may not realize it at first, but this is a situation where a traffic ticket attorney is beneficial to you. We already understand the traffic laws that you would have to learn. We also work with these police officers and judges on a regular basis, giving us insight into what to expect from them and how to approach them. Often our established relationships with court officials benefit our clients because we know what to do, how to conduct ourselves in court, and what to expect from many of the judges. In addition to the great deal of time that hiring a traffic ticket attorney can save you, there is the very real likelihood that it will save you a lot of money in the long run if you can avoid the fines and penalties associated with getting a speeding citation. Remember that the process of fighting a traffic ticket can be extensive and costly. If you are considering doing so, which you certainly should, be sure to consider all of your options before enter into the endeavor. Call the Traffic Ticket Team at 954-967-9888 for a fee consultation. We will be happy to discuss all of the alternatives that you may available to you.