The defendant is you, as you're the person fighting charges. I've never had an issue until this particular morning, and I assume I was just severely unlucky this day. This will involve going to court. I checked my speedometer." How Long Do You Have to Pay a Speeding Ticket? Pleading guilty means you're accepting the ticket and paying the resulting fines, which will raise your insurance premiums. Instruction manuals include maintenance schedules you can question the officer about, and they may note radar gun weaknesses, for example. Our attorneys can be reached at (614) 361-2804. If the judge rules against you, you can appeal the case to a higher court. Making it appear that the witness does not remember facts correctly casts doubt in the judge's eyes. traffic school or defensive driving course. Go to the Traffic Division's website at courts.phila.gov/traffic. Former police officer gives you the secrets to getting a s. You can submit a discovery subpoena to the court to get certain documents that may help your case. Anytime you are considering contesting a speeding ticket or traffic offense, you should talk to an experienced traffic attorney soon after you get the ticket. If you plead "not guilty," focus your defense on either challenging the officer's means of measuring your speed or his identification of your automobile. Although you have the right to represent yourself in court, you will likely feel much more comfortable with the help of a traffic attorney. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. Incorrect Details on Your Ticket Before you do anything else, take a close look at the citation you were given by the officer. By mail Fill out the Hearing Request Form attached to your Notice of Violation and mail to: Red Light Camera Program P.O. There is another choiceyou can go to court and fight the ticket with the help of the best Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Attorney. Subscribe to stay in the loop & on the road! Melanie Horowitz has skilled attorney that can help you in handling your traffic citations related issues in . In-person at any local District Court or the. These methods include Pacing, Aircraft Speed Detection, Manual Distance Timing ( VASCAR ), Laser and/or electronic Distance Timing (ENRADD) and Radar. If you do not have previous traffic violations and have a clean driving record, bringing this kind of evidence to court can help your case. You may think that your only option once you have received a speeding ticket is to pay the fine, watch your insurance rates rise, and accept the addition of points from PennDOT. You should get a record on the police officer to look for any previous cases he's won or lost in traffic court. You will need to attend a mandatory departmental hearing. Remember, only 50% of people who fight traffic tickets get their tickets dismissed. NerdWallet writer Philip Reed contributed to this report. If you receive a speeding ticket, the fine amount will be printed right on it. Some jurisdictions use similar technology for other traffic violations, such as illegal rail crossings or toll violations. HOW THE POLICE CATCH YOU SPEEDING. But for a civil complaint such as simple speeding - do not pay! Most speeding. Also, pay attention to the traffic conditions and look especially for extenuating circumstances that could have caused inadvertent speeding. You have 10 days to respond to the citation. $50 for speeding by 5-9 and $75 for speeding by 10-19). We offer a quick and easy solution to help you win against unfair speeding tickets without the stress of a court appearance. Besides helping you win against speeding tickets in PA, DoNotPay can help you solve all your traffic ticket needs and other issues. There are other possible ways your speeding ticket can shake out. Check the PAePay websiteto see if the traffic court your ticket was assigned to accepts online payments, as it varies by county. Cost money upfront: Youll pay the speeding ticket and any court fees. If you plan to testify in your own defense, you might want to practice your testimony until you feel comfortable telling your story. Once you get a red light camera ticket, you first need to check the instructions on the violation. Select whether or not you want the letter mailed to the traffic ticket issuer on your behalf! You can try representing yourself or retain an attorney to negotiate on your behalf or fight the ticket. Many states have enacted legislation . [2] It has to be significant, however. Save Penalties: The penalties for traffic tickets in Ontario can be significant. The simplest way to deal with a speeding ticket is to go ahead and pay the fine. On the other side, note your possible comments and questions to raise during cross-examination. The police officer will aim the radar at the target vehicle. It rarely pays to argue your case then. Delay the hearing. If you are convicted of a traffic offence, you may also be required to pay a victim surcharge and court costs. You could mail a copy of the citation to the courthouse, along with a request for a trial date. Using DoNotPay is a simple way to avoid paying unfair speeding tickets and dealing with higher insurance rates for several years after getting convicted of speeding in Pennsylvania. If you decide to contest the ticket, it is a good idea to bring a speeding ticket defense lawyer with you to that hearing. Know when to fight The time to fight that traffic ticket isn't when the officer is writing you up. Sign up and well send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money. Traffic tickets usually contain instructions on how to contest or enter a 'not-guilty' plea. Outcomes may include: You pay all or some of the ticket, but it doesnt affect your driving record. If you ignore it, you may have to pay additional fines and your driver's license can be suspended. If you do end up accepting the speeding ticket, its crucial to compare. You mayget a judge to dismiss a speeding ticketor significantly reduce the charge if you are prepared for court and can justify the unfair ticket. If convicted of aggravated assault by vehicle in an active construction zone, drivers can receive up to 2 additional years of jail term. You could receive a deferral, in which case typically youll pay a fine and your ticket will be dismissed after a period of time if there are no further offenses. A few tears while explaining the circumstances and showing extreme remorse may be all that is needed. You should probably avoid testifying against yourself while fighting a speeding ticket as it is unnecessary and could make you look bad. Lacie is a NerdWallet authority on insurance products and loves data, analytics and solving SEO mysteries. Want to make smarter insurance decisions for the year ahead? The officer who issued the ticket is also asked to appear in court. Therefore, you will incur the cost of the speeding ticket, and the PA Department of Transportation may add points to your driving record. Looking for Fight Traffic Ticket in another state? Pull over as soon as you see the officer's lights and there is a safe spot to do so. (null!=i&&i!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][n]=r)}}); document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); View Our Disclaimer | Privacy Policy Law Firm Website Design by The Modern Firm. Turn your car off, and turn the. Fight Your PA Traffic Ticket in Court The steps to fighting your Pennsylvania traffic ticket can differ from court to court, though generally, the process consists of the following: Pre-trial conference. If the officer, for example, does not remember it was raining and a Tuesday he might not look like a less reliable witness. Submit a request for certain public records. However, if you want to give some answer do not admit guilt here. 2. Anything you say can be used against you if you go to court. }); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All of the information on the Colgan & Associates, LLC web site is for informational purposes only. Heres what to know about your options. In other cases, fighting the ticket may be the best option. To avoid paying an exorbitant amount upfront and over time for a speeding ticket in PA, you can always fight the ticket in court. Fighting a speeding ticket is about 3 goals: keeping your driving record clear. Its possible to lessen the impact of a speeding ticket or erase it, though doing so may be difficult. What can we do for you? This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. $25 fine for motorists not traveling with their headlights on in posted work zones. The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket The actual cost of the ticket should not be your primary concern. Your job is to present your case in order to prove you are innocent. The best tactic is to comply with the officer's requests, responding without embellishment. Where you have a strong defense, we can present your case to the magistrate or judge and demonstrate that the prosecutor cant prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Other ways an officer can clock your speed are using a timing device such as a stopwatch or VASCAR, or following behind you clocking your speed using their speedometer. When your driving privileges are on the line, it isnt just a speeding ticket. You can view a breakdown of Pennsylvania's traffic fines, updated in 2014, on the Traffic Injury Prevention Project website. You should also get some information on the patrol car regarding any recent repairs or damages to the car. have a meeting with the prosecutor. A speeding ticket can result in huge fines and an increase in your insurance premiums. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Wed appreciate if youd take a few minutes to explain where we went wrong. The PA traffic court may also appoint you counsel if you meet the following criteria: At a pre-trial conference you (or your attorney) will meet with a Pennsylvania state prosecutor to try to work out a plea bargain. On one side of a sheet of paper, note what was said. This is different from most states, which use tiered penalties (e.g. As soon as you've entered your plea, begin preparing for trial. Afterward, write down everything about the incident, including the time of day, location and anything that might have affected the circumstances, such as obscured or missing speed limit signs. Some get lucky when driving over the speed limit, while others get caught and are hit with hefty fines. If you ask for a hearing, plan to make your case and be questioned before a judge. } Sit back and relax while we do the work. Over the phone by calling (800) 492-2656. Here is a list of our partners. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); jQuery(document).on(click, .wpcf7-submit, function(e){ In some areas, you must request mitigation in writing. 4) Tell them who the actual driver was. Violation payment can be made in several manners: Through mail by check, money order, or credit card by detaching the payment coupon enclosed with the violation and mailing payment for the amount due. If the Pennsylvania judge decides you're not guilty of the traffic violations, congrats! Each time you reach 6 points on your record, there are consequences: You will need to take a written exam about safe driving practices and the penalties for violating them.

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