All of us make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes happen on the road. When they do, we might get caught by a police officer who will write a ticket. Suppose you know you saw the light turn red before you crossed the intersection or suppose you know you were speeding. You know for a fact that you made a mistake, so why even try to fight your traffic ticket?
If you consider yourself to be an honest person, you might find it difficult to dispute a ticket that you pretty much know you deserve. That said, the system will only reward your honesty with fines and points against your driving record.
For some people, these penalties can be devastating. Having to pay expensive fines speaks for itself, but accruing enough points against your driver’s license can lead to a license suspension. If that happens, you’ll need to find new ways to commute to work, get kids to and from school, run errands, and more. You’ll be in a position where you’ll need to rely on public transit or rides to get around, all of which shake up your life and may end up being unreliable.
Beyond this, it’s your constitutional right to defend yourself in court. If you are accused by the state of committing a crime (or a traffic violation, in this case), you are entitled to due process. This requires the prosecution to demonstrate your guilt for the offense beyond a reasonable doubt (yes, even in traffic court!). It’s simply not your responsibility to prove your innocence.
So, if you recently got a ticket and aren’t sure what to do, take a chance at fighting it. You know the practical consequences of a conviction, so why not? If you’d like to learn more about how our attorney can help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.
Contact Stites Law by calling (212) 729-0472">(212) 729-0472 now.
