When it comes to criminal offenses, traffic violations are certainly on the lesser end of the spectrum. However, that doesn't necessarily mean you should try fighting them on your own. Here are a few reasons to hire a defense attorney if you received a traffic ticket. 

Reasons to Seek Counsel After Getting a Traffic Ticket

1. Protect Your Driving Record

A defense attorney might be able to get the ticket reduced to a lesser offense or dismissed altogether, which will prevent it from tarnishing your driving record. Since Ohio has a point system, every traffic ticket counts. Each offense is worth a certain number of points, and if you accumulate more than 11 points in two years, your license will be suspended for six months.  Since juveniles face harsher potential license suspensions than adults for traffic offenses, having a defense attorney is even more imperative.

2. Negotiate for Lesser Penalties 

Even if police have substantial evidence against you, a defense attorney might be able to secure lesser penalties on your behalf. A local lawyer will undoubtedly be familiar with all of the judges and prosecutors in the area and know what kinds of negotiation tactics are the most likely to work based on previous experience. 

3. Contest the Ticket 

Are you sure the police did not make a mistake during the traffic stop?  If you were cited for causing an accident, did they get it right?  A seasoned attorney will investigate and evaluate the circumstances surrounding case to determine if you have a viable defense to a traffic charge and prepare to contest it at trial. 

4. Special Considerations for Juveniles

For a juvenile who is adjudicated of a traffic offense in juvenile court (the equivalent of a conviction in adult court), the court may suspend the juvenile’s driver’s license for up to 2 years or the registration for any vehicle under the juvenile’s name.  This includes a probationary license or temporary permit.  

Additionally, if a juvenile is adjudicated of 3 moving violations in a 2-year period, the BMV may revoke that juvenile’s probationary license for up to 1 year.

If you need to fight one or more traffic tickets, get in touch with James F. Bogen, Attorney at Law, in Cincinnati, OH. With more than a decade of experience, this defense lawyer helps clients fight misdemeanors and felonies. He also assists with appeals and expungements. Visit his website to explore some of the cases he has resolved. To schedule your first meeting with a strategic defense attorney, call (513) 503-7251 today.