Let’s face it, Traffic tickets seem to be an incredibly common part of a driver’s day-to-day life, but fact is that, they can drastically impact a person’s driving record, how much a person will pay for car insurance and even their ability to continue to legally drive. There are hundreds of different violations you may be cited for on a traffic ticket including both civil traffic, criminal misdemeanor and even felony charges! The procedure and penalties look different depending on the violation or charge.
Odds are that, if you received a traffic ticket in Lake Havasu City, you were cited out of one of the following Courts: Lake Havasu City Municipal Court, Lake Havasu City Justice Court, or Mohave County Superior Court. To help you navigate the process, consider working with an accomplished defense attorney. The experienced Lake Havasu City Traffic Ticket Lawyers will help you resolve the citation or case with the best outcome possible.
There is an immense variety of reasons why you might be stopped and given a ticket. Tickets are divided into two main categories: Civil and Criminal. Civil traffic tickets tend to be less harsh and cover less serious crimes, like for example failure to stop for a stop sign. These can be resolved more easily than criminal tickets, usually do not require involvement of a prosecuting attorney, and in many cases can be taken care of using Arizona’s Online Defensive Driving School Option, which dismisses a ticket once per year for a driver. Civil tickets generally result in fines, license points, or defensive driving school, but with a criminal ticket, in addition to future hassles in auto insurance, you could be looking at penalties such as jail time, fines, and probation and a life-long criminal record.
Depending on whether you received a civil or criminal ticket, the number of points you are given for a moving violation may vary. However, according to the ADOT, accumulating 8 or more points in a 12-month period can result in mandatory Traffic Survival School, or a 12-month driving suspension. The points assessment is as follows:
The short answer is that it depends on your case. If you have received a Civil Traffic Ticket in Lake Havasu City, you can:
If you have received a Criminal Traffic Ticket or a misdemeanor or being charged with a felony traffic violation like Aggravated DUI, the process looks a lot different. You or your Attorney are mandated to appear before the court on the time and date on your traffic citation or complaint unless an attorney has your presence waived. Additionally, you are not necessarily eligible for defensive driving. Points, criminal record and possible jail time are all possibilities here.
Having a knowledgeable attorney on your side in either a civil or criminal case can be a great asset in navigating the court and legal proceedings. In a civil case, you almost always have the option to complete defensive driving school, but it might not be in your best interest to do so, especially if you know you did not commit a violation that you were cited for. For criminal cases, our qualified Lake Havasu City Traffic Ticket Lawyers can help you review your case, negotiate with the state on your behalf, and use the relevant evidence to work towards the best outcome possible. Call The Law Offices of Brandon White to schedule a free strategy session today!