We Can Help You Fight Your Maryland Traffic Violations
If you’ve received a traffic ticket in MD or DC, the best thing you can do for yourself is contact an attorney for traffic violations right away.
So much about your case hinges on initial responses and knowing how to proceed; having a veteran attorney for traffic violations on your side from the start can significantly improve your chances of coming out of the courtroom without paying a fine, receiving points or suffering more serious consequences.
Your DC or Maryland traffic ticket attorney can tell you what to avoid saying or doing that can be interpreted by the Court as an admission of guilt, which can result in numerous complications that may resonate well beyond a single traffic fine.
If your traffic ticket was issued in Potomac, Rockville, Greenbelt, or anywhere else in the Maryland or Washington, D.C. area, contact an attorney for traffic violations at Houlon Berman today. We offer skilled legal advice and the experience necessary to protect your rights.
Understanding Traffic Violation Charges – Non-Incarcerable vs. Incarcerable Violations
Common Traffic Violations (Non-Incarcerable)
Many of the most common traffic tickets and violations that drivers are likely to receive are non-incarcerable: such as failure to stop at a stop sign, speeding, failure to signal, distracted driving, negligent driving, and the like. There are many reasons to seek the assistance of a traffic ticket lawyer for these civil charges.
Choosing to fight a traffic ticket is an intimidating and confusing process. Most defendants are daunted by this process and don’t know their rights. They will simply plead guilty and pay their fine, without realizing that their insurance rates could rise or that they will receive points against their license, which can accumulate. Fines from traffic violations are a major source of revenue, especially for smaller municipal districts, so it can be viewed as being in their interest to make the process as user-unfriendly as possible.
Experienced traffic lawyers also know how to analyze the details of a traffic ticket to find inconsistencies and errors that can enable them to have the charge(s) dismissed. Moreover, if you can’t afford to take time off of work, or travel back to the town you were passing through when you got caught in a speed trap, many districts allow a Maryland traffic ticket attorney to appear for you in court. Thus, bringing in legal counsel can save you both the travel expenses and time off of work required to attend court, as well as the fine carried by your traffic ticket.
Criminal Traffic Violations (Incarcerable)
If you’ve been charged with a criminal traffic violation, including reckless driving (a charge often appended to other violations and which most times has subjective criteria), seeking legal representation isn’t just a good idea, it’s vital to preserving your reputation.
Even misdemeanor traffic violations can have serious consequences, as they represent a criminal charge, and will thus appear as a criminal conviction on your record if you are found guilty.
If you have been charged with one of these violations, a lawyer for traffic violations may be able to negotiate with the prosecutor and the judge to plea bargain the charges down to a non-incarcerable offense, if not have them dismissed entirely based on errors made by the issuing officer. Either way, securing the help of a legal professional is the best way to avoid the potentially serious consequences resulting from an incarcerable criminal traffic charge.
Traffic Violation Penalties and Consequences
In many cases, the repercussions of a traffic ticket extend beyond the fines and classes imposed by the Court. Your automobile insurance may increase significantly, and that inflated rate can linger for as long as three (3) years.
The Motor Vehicle Administration is also a source of concern; the points associated with your traffic violation could cause the MVA to suspend or revoke your license, particularly if you have accumulated points. A suspended license interferes with your ability to get to work or go about the business of your daily life. Add to that the court-imposed fines and driving classes, and your life and finances may be affected for an extended period of time.
The penalties for criminal violations are even more serious, and can include the loss of your driver’s license, steep fines, jail time, and a criminal record. That last consequence could place your job in jeopardy, or make it hard to secure future employment; your criminal conviction may be “only” a traffic offense, but few employers will care about that distinction, and a criminal record follows you forever. The only way to avoid that record is to negotiate the charges down, with the help of your lawyer for traffic violations.
Contact Houlon Berman to Speak with an Experienced Attorney for Traffic Violations
Don’t let a traffic violation damage your finances, your reputation, or your future. An attorney for traffic violations who is experienced with Rockville or Greenbelt laws can help you beat or reduce the charges you face, allowing you to get on with your life.
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