Hello, my name is Heather Ford, and I am a traffic attorney in New Orleans, also known as the traffic ticket lady. And today, I just want to talk a little bit about one of the offers a prosecutor might make with you regarding a speeding ticket. But before I get started, if you ever have a question about a suspended license, traffic ticket, misdemeanor or anything of that nature, I’d be happy to talk and give you some of my thoughts. You can shoot me a text at 504-370-0335 or you can go to trafficticketsnola.com.
So one of the things that will happen in most situations is that if you get a ticket, you usually get a court date at the bottom of your ticket. Depending on which court you’re in, that might either be an arraignment date where you plead guilty or not guilty, and you get to come back, or it might be the day you resolve the ticket.
But let’s say it is your actual trial date. That usually means you’re going to be given an opportunity to talk to the prosecutor. Depending on the jurisdiction, it’s going to be a city attorney or assistant district attorney. It just depends on the jurisdiction about what that person’s title will be.
And, in many cases, they will offer you an opportunity to get that ticket reduced to a non-moving violation, particularly if your speed isn’t something too crazy fast (10 to 15 miles over). Particularly with speeding tickets, unless you’re in a school zone or construction zone, it’s not uncommon to get an offer. And these tickets can be reduced to different things.
Sometimes it’s improper equipment, and sometimes it might be a no-seatbelt. And sometimes people say yes, and then you’re in court. And they’ll go to the podium and the judge says, “Hey, you talked to the prosecutor. You agree to a no seatbelt charge.” And people get confused, and say, “Well, I was wearing my seatbelt. What’s going on here?” and then the judge tries to explain that the prosecutor is trying to offer you a break.
For many people, getting a ticket reduced from speeding to no seatbelt is a win-win; it’s a less expensive ticket. And for most people, it isn’t reported as a moving violation. But be careful; a seat belt violation can be a little tricky if you have a CDL. It also can be tricky if you’ve ever had any other tickets on your record. However, if you have a fairly clean record, a seatbelt ticket is a fairly harmless and inexpensive ticket, but if there have been any other tickets in the last three years, it can become a moving violation.
So if it was one of those, you have to be a little bit careful. Usually, improper equipment, expired MVI, or break tag is a pretty safe non-moving violation for most people. But I will say, if you ever have any questions about traffic tickets or a suspended license, I’d be happy to give you my thoughts. Just shoot me a text at 504-370-0335 or you can go to trafficticketsnola.com.
Thank you, have a good day.
