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Okay guys let me clarify a few things.
1. Please don't ever post the facts of your situation on a forum like this. When you speak directly with an attorney your conversation can be covered by the attorney client privilege, but not if it is open like this. As an ethical attorney I could never put a client on the stand to testify at a hearing if I believe he will testify to any false statements. Hence if you hired an attorney the attorney would have to use other methods to win the case other than your testimony once you publicly announced responsibility for your infraction. Most attorneys, like myself, have free consultations, feel free to use them.
2. Impeding traffic is almost never reported to the SOS, therefore it most likely will never appear on your driving record.
3. Anyone concerned about your driving record can fill out the SOS form and mail in a request for your driving record or simply go to a SOS office and request it from them. (It costs a few dollars.)
4. I heard someone mention that they had a ticket reduced to 5mph over on the highway and its zero points. This is true that it is a zero point violation, but it still appears on your driving record and it will still appear as a speeding violation to insurance companies and they will raise your premiums based upon it.
5. Civil infraction tickets don't stay on your driving record forever, but tickets for crimes such as reckless driving or drag racing do because they are misdemeanor offenses and stay on your criminal record forever.
6. Whenever you get a ticket or get involved with the law it is usually in your best interest to consult with a competent attorney.
7. When disputing a ticket you have several options and there are many different strategies. For example: If you admit responsibility at the hearing your going to get the points. If you challenge it and you don't have an attorney it is usually scheduled for an "informal hearing". At an informal hearing it is yourself, the officer who wrote the ticket, and a "magistrate". Magistrates don't even have to be real attorneys and they aren't judges. When you hire an attorney the matter has to be set for a "formal hearing". At a formal hearing you will be before an actual judge, the officer still has to appear, and the city attorney or prosecuting attorney also has to be there to negotiate or litigate the ticket with your attorney. Keep in mind that the city attorney or prosecutor can reduce a ticket during negotiations even if the officer doesn't want to. You still have a right to a formal hearing even without an attorney. I always recommend you hire a competent attorney. There are many more technical issues and strategies to fighting tickets but I obviously can't go into all the detail here.
If anyone has any questions feel free to call my office.
Thanks,
John
(248) 921-6421
1. Please don't ever post the facts of your situation on a forum like this. When you speak directly with an attorney your conversation can be covered by the attorney client privilege, but not if it is open like this. As an ethical attorney I could never put a client on the stand to testify at a hearing if I believe he will testify to any false statements. Hence if you hired an attorney the attorney would have to use other methods to win the case other than your testimony once you publicly announced responsibility for your infraction. Most attorneys, like myself, have free consultations, feel free to use them.
2. Impeding traffic is almost never reported to the SOS, therefore it most likely will never appear on your driving record.
3. Anyone concerned about your driving record can fill out the SOS form and mail in a request for your driving record or simply go to a SOS office and request it from them. (It costs a few dollars.)
4. I heard someone mention that they had a ticket reduced to 5mph over on the highway and its zero points. This is true that it is a zero point violation, but it still appears on your driving record and it will still appear as a speeding violation to insurance companies and they will raise your premiums based upon it.
5. Civil infraction tickets don't stay on your driving record forever, but tickets for crimes such as reckless driving or drag racing do because they are misdemeanor offenses and stay on your criminal record forever.
6. Whenever you get a ticket or get involved with the law it is usually in your best interest to consult with a competent attorney.
7. When disputing a ticket you have several options and there are many different strategies. For example: If you admit responsibility at the hearing your going to get the points. If you challenge it and you don't have an attorney it is usually scheduled for an "informal hearing". At an informal hearing it is yourself, the officer who wrote the ticket, and a "magistrate". Magistrates don't even have to be real attorneys and they aren't judges. When you hire an attorney the matter has to be set for a "formal hearing". At a formal hearing you will be before an actual judge, the officer still has to appear, and the city attorney or prosecuting attorney also has to be there to negotiate or litigate the ticket with your attorney. Keep in mind that the city attorney or prosecutor can reduce a ticket during negotiations even if the officer doesn't want to. You still have a right to a formal hearing even without an attorney. I always recommend you hire a competent attorney. There are many more technical issues and strategies to fighting tickets but I obviously can't go into all the detail here.
If anyone has any questions feel free to call my office.
Thanks,
John
(248) 921-6421
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