Our legal services within Indianapolis traffic ticket court are not for everyone. We are here as a resource for those whose employment or family responsibilities require that they do whatever is possible to preserve a clean driving record. Due to the financial costs in hiring us I have provided below a checklist in determining how and when you may go about addressing your Indianapolis speeding ticket or traffic violation without the assistance of a qualified traffic lawyer.
In today’s world a “minor” traffic offense or citation no longer exists. Sooner or later too many good people find that the traffic violation they had conveniently paid and admitted to years ago has come back to haunt them. In our sour economy, insurance companies and local govermnents are increasingly on the lookout for new streams of revenue. Whether used by an insurance company as an excuse to jack up premiums or a focus of local govermnents pressuring cops to write more tickets and the income that goes with them, traffic tickets have become the new way to wage war on the pocketbook of the driving public.
This trickle down effect has now impacted employers who have been forced to terminate employees due to excessive points on a driving record for fear of insurance and liability costs. Professional (CDL) drivers, salespeople or any hard working individual needing to drive more than average to earn a living has been negatively effected by the rising tide of traffic stops and violations alleged against good people who would have formerly been issued warnings.
At Stark Law Offices, we handle all speeding tickets in Indianapolis, school and work zone violations as well as all traffic related crimes such as Reckless Driving, Driving While Suspended or DUI across the state of Indiana. We pride ourself in taking care of traffic tickets & speeding tickets in Indianapolis for our clients; Easily, Conveniently and Successfully.
We have been privilged to have had the opportunity to safeguard the rights of people charged in every traffic court in central Indiana. In three decades of defending those charged with traffic offenses, we have accomplished unequal success in aiding our clients.
When the time has come to find a top traffic attorney serving central Indiana, or to get more in depth information as to whether retaining a traffic lawyer is the right move for you, call us. Whether we aid you in court or by phone, we are DUI & Traffic law attorneys who know how to assist you in preserving your freedom, limiting employment obstacles and safeguarding your all important driving record.
Many times people calling our law firm hope to unlock the secret behind “beating” a traffic ticket. Unfortunately, most of what you’ve heard is not always true. Simply put, the best way of beating an Indiana traffic ticket without the aid of an attorney is to:
1.) request that your ticket be set for a trial date
2.) show up in person to appear at the trial date
3.) verify that the ticketing police officer does not appear at your trial setting
4.) be ticketed in a court that will then dismiss the case due to the officer’s non appearance without giving the prosecutor another continued trial date.
In the real world a lawyer can advise you on how an officer must properly calibrate his radar detection device, etc. However, one must understand that a traffic citation is generally not a criminal offense but what is referred to in most jurisdictions as an “infraction.” Unlike a criminal traffic offense such as Operating While Intoxicated, Driving While Suspended or Reckless Driving where the standard of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt, a traffic court prosecutor must prove that a traffic infraction was commited by a “Preponderance of the Evidence” to find one guilty, or basically 51%.
Regrettably, this realty almost universally works to the disadvantage of one seeking to challenge a police officer’s version of events before a judge bound to encounter this same officer, and the officer’s department on a weekly basis. As a result, no matter the legal speak of one who may claim otherwise, once an officer is in attendance and takes an oath as to the course of events before a judge, a judge must make a determination that a police officer is either lying or incompetent for he or she to rule in your favor. Not odds that one seeking to challenge a ticket without an attorney can reasonably rely on.
For these reasons, firms such as Stark Law Offices will only accept defense of traffic cases in certain circumstances and prefer in good conscience to provide advice on how to go it alone when warranted. As opposed to paying a large amount of money to a traffic attorney or Indiana speeding ticket lawyer to learn this realty, don’t despair, there are some things you can do when facing a traffic offense that can often be productive.
Ways to limit the punishment of a traffic ticket without an attorney
1. Seek dismissal of your traffic or Indiana speeding ticket through a Deferral program. If you do not have a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) and your driving record is good, you may qualify for the dismissal of an infraction upon payment of a financial penalty and no further driving offenses within a certain time period. Consult with the applicable court or prosecutor’s office to determine the existence of such a program and with the prosecutor to determine eligibility.
2. Take an offered Defensive Driving Course through your Bureau or Department of Motor Vehicles. The adverse effects of points or other penalties on your driving record can often be minimized by taking such a course that can knock negative points off of your record and help lower insurance rates.
3. Although better served by an experienced traffic law attorney, if you are charged with speeding over a certain level, you may be able to speak with the local prosecuting attorney as to lowering the speed level down below a certain range to lower the adverse points against your driving record.
When you should have an indiana traffic lawyer
Obviously DUI is such a severe offense that it is covered extensively elsewhere within this website. Further, if one holds a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) such a professional can have a career and livelihood destroyed if a traffic matter is not handled correctly. For other traffic offenses such as Driving While Suspended, Reckless Driving, Speeding for those holding a CDL license or for anyone clocked more than 15 mph over the posted speed limit, an experienced traffic lawyer by your side can be a sound investment.
In many such cases an experienced traffic court attorney can not only preclude the imposition of criminal penalties such as potential jail time or probationary requirements such as work release, house arrest or community service to name but a few, but can also minimize or eliminate possible mandatory suspensions to a drivers license.
To provide one example, an experienced defense attorney can often work with a prosecutor to either amend or change a charge of Driving While Suspended to a less major infraction of Operating With No License In Possession. Where Driving While Suspended carries mandatory license suspensions in most jurisdictions, no license in possession would not.
In sum, if your traffic offense can land you in jail, (a misdemeanor or felony), can give you a license suspension or points on your record that can send your insurance rates through the roof, or you value a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), you would be well served to consult with us for free as soon as possible. However, if your driving record is relatively good and you’re facing a traffic infraction such as operating with expired plates, improper turn, failure to signal, etc. you might be wise to save your money on legal fees and go it alone. In any event, as each circumstance is different, it is always best to fully consider all legal options before choosing one course of action over another.