Only a bunch of people have been able to avoid a traffic ticket during their driving experience. But for most of us, we’ve had to deal with flashing lights in our rearview mirror due to excessive speeding, failure to yield, or other traffic violations.

Paying a traffic ticket in California and avoiding a court date may seem like the easiest option. You may even be wondering whether it’s worth your time to fight the ticket. But there are benefits to going to court if a ticket means thousands of dollars in insurance premiums. And your Orange County criminal defense lawyer can help you fight a traffic ticket in a traffic court.

Why Should I Fight My Traffic Ticket?

If you get cited for a moving violation, you’ll have to decide whether to go to court or just pay the ticket and go on with your life. Paying a ticket is always considered an admission of guilt for the violation. But if you go to court, you have a chance to defend yourself and get the judge to reduce the fine or beat the ticket.

Types of California Traffic Ticket

California has two types of traffic tickets:

Infraction: this includes all basic traffic violations in the state like running a red light, speeding, etc.

Misdemeanor: this covers more serious traffic offenses like driving without a license, excessive speeding, driving under the influence (DUI/DWI), etc.
If you want to fight a ticket but can’t go to court, a good option is to hire an Orange County traffic lawyer who can give you a better shot at beating the traffic violation.

Here are the real reasons you should fight a ticket in Laguna Hills:

It Is Your Right to Challenge Any Criminal Allegations

Just like any other criminal infraction, a traffic ticket is also an allegation. This means you’re entitled to a vigorous defense without feeling guilty about it. You can even fight a ticket without appearing in court through a California procedure called “trial by written declaration.”

Save Money

A majority of people decide to just pay the ticket and move on. But this comes at a cost in several ways. Paying the ticket is considered a guilty plea, and so you pay the fine plus the court fees. You also end up with a point on your driving record which often raises your insurance rates.

Save Insurance

Paying off your Orange County traffic ticket gives you a point on your DMV record. If you get a speeding ticket of over 100 mph, you get two points, and the violation stays on your record for ten years. DMV will then report this to your insurer, who then starts viewing you as a high-risk driver and thus increasing your premiums.

But if your Orange County traffic ticket defense lawyer helps you dismiss the ticket successfully, you won’t get any points on your DMV record, and your insurer will never know about any of your wrongdoing on the roads.

Save Points

California traffic violations for stop signs, U-turns, crossing double yellow lines, improper lane change, failure to signal, and many others carry one point. These points can show on your record for three years, and having too many of these points could lead to your license suspension.

Have Your Peace of Mind

Thinking about a traffic ticket, its impact on your DMV record, consequences on your driving license, and insurance rates can put you in a lot of anxiety. But this shouldn’t be the case if you have a California traffic ticket defense attorney representing you and arguing on your behalf using the ideal defense strategies.

Why Should I Choose an Orange County Traffic Lawyer?

Hiring an attorney might seem cost-prohibitive, but it could save you money in the long run. For a small fee, a law firm that specializes in fighting tickets in Orange County can go to court on your behalf, offer you informed legal advice, negotiate a violation on your behalf, and give you the best chances to win a traffic court trial using their experience and knowledge.

What Are the Common Defenses to A Traffic Ticket?

Your Orange County defense attorney might use different defenses to fight a ticket. Some of them include:

· The officer not showing up during the trial, which will automatically make you win the case
· Contesting camera tickets and declaring observations by different people as hearsay
· Proving that the radar guns’ measurements are faulty
· Errors on the ticket such as misspelling your name, citing the wrong law, or mentioning a different car description
· Trial by declaration requires the officer to issue their side of the story, but they sometimes don’t do that

Should I Go to Traffic School?

In California, you can avoid a moving citation from appearing on your record if you attend traffic school. This is also known as defensive driving or driving safety course aimed at helping drivers with their driving skills.

This course will hide your ticket from your record, but you’ll still have to get approval from the court. This is yet another option your traffic lawyer can explore and pursue on your behalf.

Legal Guidance from A Specialized Attorney

When you get a traffic ticket, you may be unsure what next steps to take. If you know the ramifications of paying a ticket, you may want to challenge it. And there’s no better way of increasing your success rate than using the help of a criminal defense lawyer who is experienced in defending traffic tickets in Laguna Hills, CA.

Avoid a bad rating on your record and prevent your insurer from increasing your insurance premiums. If you have several tickets or you’re a ticketed commercial driver, you need a lawyer even more because of the potential consequences of such violations on these groups. Call us today at (813) 967-2000 to get started and fight the ticket.