How Can I Get My Speeding Ticket Reduced?

Speeding seems like a small mistake, but a violation often follows you for years. You might feel compelled to pay your traffic ticket and deal with the consequences. Even if it feels like the right thing to do, it’s a bad idea. If possible, you should do whatever it takes to get your speeding ticket reduced. Don’t make any decisions while you’re under stress. In fact, even while you’re parked along the side of the road, waiting for the officer to write out your ticket, it’s the perfect time to consider your defense strategy.

• If you were speeding, never admit it to the officer.
• Take a few moments and write down the facts about the incident: location, conditions, the police officer’s potential view obstructions, etc.
• Find out what type of radar or speed detection equipment he used.
• Understand that paying a speeding ticket affects you financially for years to come — don’t forget to factor in the impact to your insurance rates!
• Consider consulting with an attorney to learn more about your legal options.

What Happens If You Pay Your Speeding Ticket?

When you pay a speeding ticket, you plead guilty by default. If your ticket doesn’t include a summons and appearance date, you can usually pay it online. You don’t have to admit anything in court, so it often seems like the easy way out. The immediate financial costs seem minor compared to the time and energy you’d spend defending yourself. The pay-and-walk-away option often feels like a bargain.

• You’ll pay a few hundred dollars in fines and costs.
• You won’t have to take time off work for one or more hearings.
• You won’t have to travel to the courthouse or pay to park.
• You’ll feel relieved that the whole speeding ordeal is over.

When you pay a speeding ticket, the immediate costs seem minimal, but the speeding ordeal won’t be over. The unanticipated costs will gradually begin sneaking up on you a month or two down the road.

• By paying your fine, you admit that you’re guilty of speeding.
• Insurance companies don’t want to insure speeders, so they may cancel or non-renew your auto policy due to the increased risk.
• If your insurer doesn’t terminate your coverage, they will increase your premiums considerably or lower your liability limits and add a high-risk premium surcharge.
• If you can’t maintain insurance, you may be subject to additional penalties for failure to comply with the state’s financial responsibility laws.
• When you apply for a job that involves driving, a speeding ticket usually eliminates your chances of getting the job.

Getting your speeding ticket reduced

If you choose to handle your case yourself, you have several options for getting the jurisdiction to reduce your speeding ticket and lower your fines.

Negotiate a Plea Deal

Before your hearing, you’ll have an opportunity to work out an agreement with the prosecutor. Even if you can’t think of a valid reason, ask anyway. The prosecutor might recommend a reduced sentence and a lower fine if you plead guilty to a non-moving violation. The judge must still sign off on your deal but it’s rare for a court to refuse to sign off on a plea deal for a simple traffic ticket matter. If the judge doesn’t accept your plea deal, the court has to pay the costs of conducting a trial.

Ask For a Dismissal

Even if you feel “guilty,” you have a right to seek a dismissal. Before you go to your hearing, discuss your evidence with the prosecutor. If you work out a deal with the prosecutor but the judge doesn’t agree, he or she will schedule a trial date.

Try Your Case

During your trial, you have a chance to present your evidence. If you have witnesses, ask them to testify. Question the police officer under oath. Ask him about his rationale for ticketing you in particular and his ticketing process in general. Discuss the equipment used to gauge your speed. Review any inaccuracies and inconsistencies you found on your speeding ticket. When questioned, the officer might not even recall the specific situation.

After you present your case, the judge may choose to dismiss your case or reduce your speeding ticket to a less consequential charge.

Consult With an Attorney

While weighing your options, you should consider the benefits of hiring a legal representative. Local attorneys understand the New Orleans Municipal Codes, Louisiana laws, and local courtroom procedures. Through dealing with the same prosecutors and judges every day, they understand how the court functions.

An attorney evaluates your case and works with you to craft an effective defense strategy. As your licensed legal counsel, your attorney has the authority to represent you at hearings, act on your behalf, and request a trial date.

Contact us today for a free consultation.