A Balance of Power

The state of Florida is a state that issues more tickets than just about any other.  There was a time when the state’s revenue was sufficient to cover the cost of its bills and still come up with a balanced budget.  Now, however, just mention the word “tax” in any given political situation and it is as though you have uttered a vulgar word.  Unfortunately, in doing away with a sales tax and lowering other taxes for the wealthy, our legislature has continued to find ways to wring money out of socio-economic groups who can ill-afford it.  The rising cost of living for simple things such as water or sewer bills is one method of doing so.  If you take even a passing glance at our politicians and their lifestyles, you will realize why local and state governments push so hard to implement laws to extract money from generally law-abiding citizens through issuance of traffic tickets.  Very few of us can afford private schools and some of the other benefits that the wealthy enjoy, yet these are the privileged few who seem to get the most tax breaks.

I refer to the monies raised from the increasing number of traffic tickets in South Florida as the “ticket tax.”  Traffic ticket fines go to the city or county, depending where you are issued the ticket.  Although some people don’t want to acknowledge that they are being “taxed” in this manner, least of all your local politicians, that’s what it amounts to.  The average person will get a traffic ticket every other year usually resulting in a fine greater than $100, and often hundreds of dollars.  In Palm Beach County alone the average traffic ticket is about $250.  Can you imagine?  When you consider the mean income of Palm Beach County residents, that’s an increase in their cost of living of about half of a percent.

The dichotomy that exists among the residents of Palm Beach County is vast.  Of course, the upper echelon of the socio-economic group (yeah, the rich) can afford to just pay their traffic tickets and suffer the financial ramifications of doing so.  For the rest of us the penalties associated with a traffic ticket can be quite a hardship.  That is why I continually say, “DON’T EVER JUST PAY A TRAFFIC TICKET.”  Over the years, I have gotten about 20 traffic tickets.  Now that is a bit higher than the average, but that is one of the reasons that I chose to become a traffic ticket attorney.  I know from personal experience how traffic tickets can effect your life, and I wanted to help those who can’t afford to bear the burden of a traffic ticket.

A Matter of Conscience

I have my resume posted on our website.  This isn’t because I want to present myself as some high-browed attorney.  Yes, I have worked for large firms and achieved a good deal of success in doing so, but it occurred to me that I was not suited to defending large corporations.  I wanted to be able to help people on the fringes of society who had legal issues, so I became a public defender.  After a few years, I started the Traffic Ticket Team.  I did so in order to help the average person because I felt that this was who was being targeted by traffic cops to help fill quotas.  I was also disturbed by how contemptuously judges and cops often treat people for a simple traffic ticket.

That was 15 years ago and so far, we have defended over a million people.  For just $69, we save our clients hundreds of dollars in fines, insurance rate increases, life insurance increases, and so on.  For about half of our clients, we get the charges dismissed completely, and nearly all of our other clients pay lower fines and have no points assessed against their license.  Now, $69 is not a lot of money to defend someone in court, but the gratitude that I get from my clients is what motivates me.  The thank you notes, emails, and occasional pie or cake that I receive just reaffirm that I made the right decision in changing my career path.

I hope that neither you, your friends, nor you family ever need my assistance, but if you do, give me a call for a free consultation at 954-967-9888.  I will gladly help you avoid the pitfalls of the “ticket tax.”