What do you do if you feel your citation was unfair or you didn’t
commit the traffic violation at all? The good news is you have the ability
to contest your traffic citation. The bad news is the process can be confusing
and involved. Our legal team at Jerry Loftin & Associates has developed
instructions for how to
fight a traffic ticket in Texas. Read on to learn more.
Contact a Traffic Ticket Attorney
If you feel your traffic ticket was unwarranted, the first step to fighting
it should involve contacting an experienced traffic ticket lawyer. An
attorney who has experience working with local and state courts and can
use their legal knowledge to appeal the judge for your benefit. They have
the ability to look at dashboard and body cams prior to your court case
and use the evidence to defend you. Attempting to fight your ticket without
the help of an attorney could make it more difficult to get your ticket dropped.
Submit a Not Guilty Plea
You must submit your not-guilty plea to your local court prior to the due
date on your ticket. Otherwise, you will not be able to fight the citation
and could risk additional late fees or a warrant for your arrest. Your
attorney will know how to submit your plea and notify your county court
that you intend to fight the ticket. Soon after you submit your plea,
the court will assign a date for your citation case.
Fight Your Case in Court
Once you have received your court date, you and your attorney will build
a defensive strategy to present in court. The officer who gave you the
ticket will also appear in court, but do not feel intimidated. Your attorney
will help you present your defense to the judge for a final decision.
If the judge feels you did not intentionally commit a traffic violation,
or the officer was somehow in the wrong, they will dismiss your ticket.
The judge may offer a reduced sentence or fine as an alternative. Because
this does not remove the citation from your record, you can request to
take a defensive driving course in order to keep your record clean.
Texas law also allows you to request a deferred disposition on your citation
by pleading no contest. This will drop the citation from your record upon
completion of a defensive driving course and payment of the full fine
amount. Once used, you cannot request deferred disposition again for 12 months.
Our Fort Worth Traffic Ticket Attorneys Are Ready to Defend You –
(817) 591-7850
No one should receive a ticket unjustly. Our Fort Worth criminal defense
lawyers have over 65 years of combined experience defending clients and
can help you fight your citation. We have represented traffic ticket clients
throughout the state of Texas and we regularly fight allegations of speeding,
DUI, and illegal parking. There are a number of ways to reduce or drop
your traffic citation, and our attorneys are here to find the best defense for you.
Contact our firm today
for a free consultation regarding your traffic ticket.