Terre Haute Traffic Ticket Lawyer
You can’t always shrug off a traffic ticket. For help avoiding the harsh penalties associated with your ticket, reach out to a Terre Haute traffic violation lawyer.
Most people have been stopped by a police officer once or twice in their lives. Whether it was for a broken taillight, failure to signal, or speeding, many of us have at least gotten a warning from an officer. When you’ve gotten a traffic ticket, you may have a more serious problem than the embarrassment of being pulled over.
To avoid harsh penalties, you may need to act quickly to contest your ticket and have it taken off of your record. Leaving it be could have serious long-term consequences. Even if you don’t believe your case is serious, fighting your ticket could help you avoid losing your license in the future.
Handling a traffic violation isn’t always easy, but with a Terre Haute traffic ticket lawyer in your corner, you can get the results you need to get your record cleared. At Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm, we’re ready to fight for your case. Getting a traffic ticket dismissed by yourself won’t be easy, but our firm is more than willing to fight by your side.
Types of Traffic Tickets in Terre Haute
When you’ve been pulled over, you might receive a ticket for one of many reasons. There are lots of different ticket types, but you’ll need to know the exact details and location of your ticket in Terre Haute. Knowing all the details can only benefit your defense.
When you’re looking at a possible conviction, knowing the severity and type of incident listed will make a difference. If you’re contesting it, knowing things like speed limit zones or where lights are can make a major difference.
Although there are many types of traffic tickets, the following are some of the most common categories:
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Speeding – Going above the speed limit is a common traffic violation. How far above the speed limit you were going can make a big difference in the number of points that may be added to your driving record, as well as your fines.
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Driving without a License, Registration, or Insurance – Most states require some form of insurance if you’re driving, and driving without insurance in Indiana is against the law.
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Failure to Yield – Because failing to yield or stop at signs and lights is reckless and endangers others, officers and traffic cameras will keep a close watch on this offense.
The Point System in Indiana
If you’ve been stopped for any type of traffic violation in Terre Haute, you’ve likely been warned that you’ll have points on your license if you plead guilty for your ticket. But what do these points do? How can they affect you?
The point system is intended to punish habitual offenders and encourage others to behave, especially if they’ve received a few points on their license for a minor infraction. These points are a way to keep up with the infractions you’ve been convicted of, which can add up and trigger serious penalties.
Points vary by offense. For instance, you may only receive two points for speeding fewer than fifteen miles over the speed limit, but if you were caught going twenty-six miles or more above the limit, you can expect six points. Other violations tend to range between two and ten points.
These are especially important because they stay on your record for two years, which means even the smallest violations can pile up. For example, let’s say you get caught speeding, and you receive six points on your license. A year passes, and you receive a similar speeding ticket. Already, you’re more than halfway to eighteen points, which is the number that can get your drivers license suspended.
Lasting Penalties for Terre Haute Traffic Tickets
Fighting a ticket can help prevent future penalties, which can be difficult to deal with. Again, license points will last for two years before being removed from your record. During that time, they can add up quickly, and they can cause major issues for you going forward.
For example, you may have your license suspended or put on probation, and a suspension can cause plenty of trouble in the future. While your suspension length will depend on the severity of the case, losing your license for any amount of time can be frustrating and expensive.
Losing your license means relying on either the kindness of others or public transit to get from place to place, which means you’re far more likely to be late to work or simply unable to get to the places you need to go. This can make everyday life more difficult.
This also means that it’s more difficult to pay your fines. Being unable to get to work easily, you risk jeopardizing your job when you need the income the most. The fees for traffic tickets can be high, after all, and if your license is suspended, you’ll have another fine to have it unsuspended. That’s not to mention the potential for your insurance premiums to skyrocket.
Defenses for Terre Haute Traffic Tickets
As important as it is to fight your ticket in traffic court, doing so without help is going to be difficult. After all, a police officer’s word will simply have more weight than yours. No matter how truthful your testimony is, most officers are respected in the courtroom.
Additionally, the Internet is full of misleading information about how to get your ticket dismissed, and if you’re led astray, you could end up with serious fees on your plate. Many websites might suggest trying to get the ticket thrown out for minor errors, for example, but this isn’t always useful.
In this case, minor errors are usually expected to be ignored. If they misspelled the street name or wrote that your car is blue when it’s gray, you’re not likely going to get your ticket dismissed. Finding significant errors in the officer’s testimony, however, can make your case. For example, if the street name isn’t even close to the street you received your ticket on, you could have your ticket dismissed.
Your traffic violation attorney in Terre Haute can examine every detail of your case to find the defense that will work for you.
Consult With a Terre Haute Traffic Ticket Attorney
To get a traffic ticket dismissed, you need to know what you received the ticket for, how to build a strong defense, and who can help. Handling your case alone can be especially difficult, and if it doesn’t go right, it could mean a suspended license for you.
If you want to fight your ticket, call the qualified and experienced legal team at our firm. We know how stressful dealing with a ticket can be, as well as how difficult getting a ticket dismissed will be without access to the resources a traffic violation lawyer can provide.
At Rowdy G. Williams Law Firm, we’ve seen all kinds of traffic ticket debates and defenses, and we know what can work for you. If getting your ticket dismissed can mean the difference between having the freedom to drive and being bound to the bus, then you need all the help you can get.
If you’re considering a consultation with us or just have a few questions, give us a call at 1-812-232-7400 or fill out the online contact form at the bottom of this page to speak with a Terre Haute traffic ticket lawyer. We would be happy to discuss your case and give you personalized help with your ticket.
