Waldo, Florida is located in Alachua County along US Highway 301. Many people and AAA feel that Waldo is a speed trap. Although the signage has improved in recent years, the speed changes frequently and the school zone in Waldo from US 301 Southbound onto SR-24 is difficult to manage, especially if you are not from here. Many people from out of state call the office after receiving a traffic citation looking for a lawyer to handle traffic ticket defense due to an alleged traffic violation in Waldo.
What can you do if you were issued a traffic ticket in Waldo? In every traffic violation case you have three options. First you could just pay the citation, you will receive points on your license, your insurance may increase for years and some states will suspend your license if you were driving fast enough.
Second, if you qualify, you may elect to take traffic school, which will remove points from the license, the citaiton still has to be paid and unfortunatley for out of state driver, another State may not honor the election to remove points. The driver’s home state may place points on the license even if the driver chooses school to avoid pointd in Florida. After traffic school, the citation will still appear on the record.
A person with a commercial driver’s license or CDL does not qualify to elect school. The traffic school election can only be made once every twelve (12) months and only five (5) times in a lifetime. Therefore, a citation with a school election is maintained on the driver record for 75 years.
The third choice, sometimes the only choice for out of state drivers, CDL drivers, or drivers needing an amendment to keep their job or license, is to take the infraction to court. A traffic ticket lawyer can represent a driver in court in the driver’s absense; there is no requirment to personally attend. (Even in Appearance Required Citations).
Law enforcement municipal statistics along the US 301 corridor, including Lawtey, Starke, and Waldo, show that in any given month, about 90% of people just pay a traffic ticket or elect traffic school which requires payment of the citation. Why do an overwhelming majority of citizens just roll over and pay the traffic ticket?
Perhaps convenience is a factor, but we can help without ever coming to the office, and even through email. Maybe people feel it is the law enforcement’s word against the citizen. Unfortunately this can seem true. But in court, sometimes, the officer fails to appear or witnesses may have unclear memories, in a speeding ticket, documents for calibration and maintencance are not always proper. .
Single car accident cases,such as for careless driving, should almost always be fought. In that instance the citation was issued for because there was an accident and for no other reason. In single car accident careless driving citations, the driver is likely the only witness to the crash. The State has to prove guilt, and most of the time the officer or trooper did not witness the wreck. When the lawyer goes to court instead of the driver, what evidence can the State present? None. However, in the same case a driver representing themselves may be asked questions and the driver will provide the State the evidence the State is missing. Hiring a traffic ticket defense lawyer can have drastically different results because without evidence, the State cannot meet their burden of proof which is beyond a reasonable doubt.
Even if the defenses are difficult; most of the time an attorney can help to avoid points and traffic school. In short most people do not fight their traffic ticket case. More people should. Hire an attorney by clicking, filling out the form or calling. We handle all traffic matters.
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