Some traffic ticket clients mention that the officer “gave me a discount” or reduced the fine” at the stop. Otherwise we will hear “the ticket was supposed to be $ and he cited me $”. This can cause confusion and the trooper, deputy or officer will not likely clear it up.
Instead, having chosen to issue a citation for an offense with a lower fine, the cop may have encouraged prompt payment of the money. We hear this all the time, the client is nervous at the time of the stop and the officer really does not want to explain what just happened. What just happened, if this sounds familiar, is that the officer chose to accuse the driver of a violation with a lower fine than the accusation that could have been made. Maybe the officer wants to avoid argument or truly thinks they were doing a favor. This speculation puts a lot of people in a jam.
Resolving the ticket by just paying results in points on the driving history. Paying these and getting points on your license is probably still the worst option, a lower fine does not always mean less points. Depending on the citation, school may or may not be an option. You always have the option to take your citation to court.
The officer can amend the citation so long is that amendment is made before the hearing begins. Obviously there is no way to tell into the future what the officer will do on the day of the hearing. However, a traffic defense attorney’s job is to get the best result possible. Several cases get dismissed completely and there is no court fine, but that also means that several do not. Avoiding points, preserving school elections and of course having a day in court are much better options than just paying the fine, which is pleading guilty and getting points on your license. To hire a lawyer to fight or resolve your ticket please click, call or fill out the form.
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