Was your ticket written in a school or work zone?.Was your ticket written for excessive speed over the posted limit? (Generally 25+ MPH over). If you have dismissed a ticket with a driver safety course before, and if so, when?.The court’s considerations include things like: These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of your violation and your previous driving history. Requesting permission to take a driver safety course is exactly what it sounds like.įor most minor violations, traffic courts in Alabama may allow you to dismiss your ticket by completing a traffic school course. If you are successful, the court may reduce your fine, put you on a monthly payment plan, or allow you to work off your debt with community service.Ī contested hearing is one you attend with the purpose of getting the conviction overturned. Permission to take a driver safety courseĪ mitigation hearing is one where you request leniency because the fine represents an excessive financial burden.You could skip hiring an attorney and head to the courthouse yourself and request one of three things: At least your insurance won’t go up if the attorney manages to keep the ticket off your record. But, depending on what the firm charges, it may remain pretty high on the expense chart. Negotiate with the prosecutor to have your charges dropped or reducedįactoring in the time spent shopping for a lawyer, this option is fairly moderate on the effort scale.Spend time researching traffic lawyers and hire one. Once you’ve paid the required fees, the attorney will:.The fight-it-with-a-lawyer option works like this: About any legal issue-from big to small, and everything in between.” “Unlimited back-and-forth with traffic lawyers. Chat with certified lawyers until you’re satisfied. If you’re the type who likes to drive fast all the time, this may be an option. Many law firms have monthly memberships that will allow you to have… “One in four tickets is issued in error, yet only 5% of drivers contest their traffic tickets.”ĭo you want to be in the 95% of suckers who don’t? These sites will also offer statistics encouraging you to employ them by implying you’d be stupid not to. Some of these will claim they’ll pay for your ticket as well. “Full refund if we are unable to keep the ticket off your record!” Most of these sites will boast of a 90%+ success rate, and many will make promises like Don’t believe me? Google “fight ticket with Alabama attorney” and see how many results you get. The internet is crawling with attorneys ready to go to war for you over your traffic ticket. Is this your best answer in terms of time and expense? Maybe you’ve seen billboards with pictures of smiling (or sometimes scowling) attorneys promising to join in your traffic-related crusade. What will it take to beat your ticket with an attorney? Hire a Lawyer and Fight, Fight, Fight You may feel that your ticket represented an attack on your driving superiority, and now you’re out for justice. And it won’t just be expensive now it’ll be expensive later when your insurance renews. This option is fairly low on the effort scale but fairly high on the expense side. You could just pay the darn thing and chalk the fine up to hard-earned experience. I Ignored a Ticket and it Was Fine, Until it Got Awkward (and Expensive) That last step, the “safety course” one? That one is almost always your best choice, but who knows? One of the others might work just as well.) (I’m going to save you a little suspense here. Let’s take a look at how you might attack the problem of getting a ticket. Of course, you should start by weighing your options but, after that, what’s next? Do you just pay it and put it behind you? Do you fight it? Do you hire an attorney? Do you “throw yourself on the mercy of the court” and hope they can help? Or do you just ignore it and hope it goes away? Once you know your options step by step, you can pick the one that works best for you. Whether this is your first citation or you’ve had a few, what you do next is what matters.Īfter receiving an Alabama traffic ticket, you are faced with some choices. No matter if you’ve been driving for six months or 60 years, getting tickets is a fact of life. By Jim Thompson | Last Updated: February 2, 2023
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