I can’t begin to count the number of times that I have been told, “I have never gotten a speeding ticket.”  My usual response is something along the lines of, “Just wait.”  Statistical averages would indicate that you are likely to get a traffic ticket every two years, and when you add red light cameras and police car cameras that take a picture of your license plate, the odds are even greater that a traffic ticket is in your near future.

As an experienced traffic ticket attorney, I know that it is just a matter of time for everyone until they get a traffic ticket.  I have probably gotten 25 speeding tickets myself in Miami and Broward counties over the last 28 years.  Granted most of them were about the time when I was just learning how to drive, but that is certainly not the last time I have gotten one.  That is 25 out of more than a half a million traffic tickets issued in Broward County in 2004.  That means there are a lot more people out there than just me who are contributing to Broward County’s traffic ticket slush fund.

Receiving these traffic tickets were one of the primary reasons that I became a traffic ticket attorney.  There is an element of unfairness to most traffic tickets that just bugs me.  Years ago, hiring an attorney to fight your traffic citation was not an option.  You either paid the traffic ticket or you showed up in court to try to fight the system on your own.  The chances of you prevailing in court on your own were quite slim.

There was a fortunate change in Florida law several years ago that has permitted traffic ticket attorneys to start helping people who received traffic tickets in Miami or Broward county.  So far, we at the Traffic Ticket Team have handled over 1,000,000 citations with a 99% success rate of our clients not getting points on their licenses.  This experience has afforded me a good deal of insight, allowing me to offer a few tips on what to do, or not to do, if you get pulled over for a speeding ticket or any other traffic violation.

Although you are likely to experience a wide range of emotions such as anger or indignation, do NOT argue with the police officer.  It is pretty much human nature to try to negotiate your way out of a ticket.  When you realize that this technique is often ineffective, it’s easy to get angry or indignant because you don’t feel like you deserve a ticket or you think the cop is just being a jerk.  Sitting on the side of the road is hardly the appropriate venue to dispute a traffic ticket.  If you become argumentative, you are only going to piss him off, and he is going to look for other reasons to write you more citations.  Pissing him off will also ensure that he remembers you when it’s time to go to court.  Even if you send a traffic ticket attorney on your behalf, I am sure he will have notated that you behaved badly.  This will always work against you or your attorney in court.  So, be polite, say yes sir or no ma’am, whichever the case may be.  The less he or she remembers you, the better your chances that he or she won’t show up in court.

Another important factor is not to talk too much.  Never give your opinion if you he asks you if you know why you were pulled over.  If you do, you have just confessed to the very reason he is writing you a traffic ticket.  He will also write this on the ticket, and you are then stuck because you just admitted to the crime.  This is one time when I advocate playing dumb.

I strongly urge you to call the Traffic Ticket Team to let us represent you in court, but if you choose to go yourself, there are a few things you should keep in mind.  Dress professionally; try to look like an attorney and then act like one while you are there.  Do not wear sexy, dirty, or worn clothing.  You are there to make an impression so be conscious of the impression you are making.

Once you are in court, ask the clerk to if he or she will allow you to see all of the documentation about your case.  Make sure to do so in plenty of time to review it before your case is called.  Although not a professional, you may be able to find an error if you know what to look for.  Have an approach in mind on how you are going to defend yourself before you get there; be prepared with pertinent questions and cogent answers; and bring any pictures to diagrams that support your argument.  If your charge is for speeding, ask to review the officer’s logs.  Sometimes when an individual goes to court to defend themselves, it’s not so much the legal argument that they present that gets them out of a ticket.  It is usually the judge wanting to be nice to someone who went to so much effort to try to prove his or her case.  Because it all does come down to the judge’s decision, make sure to continue to be polite and professional.  Don’t interrupt the judge and be prepared.

Again, I strongly recommend that you hire a traffic ticket attorney to defend you, but I have seen some cases where the individual has had a level of success in doing it themselves when they have the time and patience to do so.  Keep in mind that for $69, you don’t need to take time off of work, and you are hiring someone who has years of experience at finding the minutiae in your speeding ticket experience that could make all the difference.  So, give up a call at (954) 967-9888 for your free consultation.