If you have recently received a traffic ticket in California for a violation then there are steps that you can take to get out of it. To understand your options here, it’s important to be aware of what to expect when you receive your ticket.
What Happens After You Receive A Traffic Ticket?
Once you receive a traffic ticket, you should receive a courtesy notice in the post. This written document will come directly from the courts to the address on the traffic ticket. It’s important to be aware that courts are not obligated to send these out but will in most cases. This document will provide various useful pieces of information for you if you are trying to fight your traffic ticket. For instance, it will detail whether a court appearance is necessary. This will be the case for some traffic violations in California.
If you don’t receive a courtesy notice, you will still need to take action with regards to your traffic ticket. Courts are not obligated to send out courtesy notices. Not receiving one will not be seen as a suitable excuse to not appear before or on your court date. Instead, you will need to make sure that you contact the relevant court directly to get all the information that you need.
What Should You Do If A Court Appearance Isn’t Mandatory?
If a court appearance isn’t mandatory then the best way to get out of a speeding ticket is with a trial by written declaration. Using a trial by written declaration, it’s possible to fight a speeding ticket or traffic ticket without appearing in court. This can save you a long drawn out process.
To complete a trial by written declaration you will need to obtain the right documents. You can obtain these by contacting the court and requesting these. You should fill out all the relevant information relating to the incident on this document. After this you can sign it and print your name while noting any evidence that you have included for your case. You can include any evidence you like from pictures to documents.
Once you have completed the documents, you can send it to the courts. They will then contact the officer who gave you the traffic ticket. They will be provided with the option of giving their own written declaration. Once this process is complete the court will then determine whether you are guilty or not guilty.
If you are found guilty, then this isn’t the end of your fight. You can arrange a second court appearance where you will be able to argue your case again. You also will still likely have the chance to attend traffic school and thus stop DMV points from causing your insurance premium to rise.
What Defense Should You Use?
The right defense to use to get out of a traffic ticket will depend on your specific violation. If you are not sure which type of defense to use, then it’s important to make sure that you do contact a professional service. They can help you prepare the right defense and this will give you the best chance at being found not guilty when you contact the court.
If you are using a legal service it’s important to choose the right company. This can greatly impact your chances of success. Some legal services have better rates of success than others and it is worth researching this information.
Your chances of success can also be impacted by whether you complete a process such as a trial by written declaration the right way. If you don’t fill out the forms correctly, then it’s possible that a court will automatically find you guilty of the violation. This means that you will need to pay the fine in full.
To find success, you will need to make sure that you analyze the case carefully. Try to remember exactly what you told your police officer. If you admitted that you were speeding, then it’s going to be significantly more difficult to find success here. The officer may have asked you whether you were speeding directly. If you aren’t sure what you said, then you can wait until you get a copy of the notes from the officer. Do be aware that it’s possible that they have included a note that you were speeding.
Learn The Weak Points
Do note that there are weak points in cases like this. That includes weaknesses in certain technology that might be involved in your case.
Photograph your ticket & license.
*If you don’t have your ticket handy, it’s okay — you can still start the process and just add it later!
Provide info through guided questions.
*Be sure to quickly add as many notes about the stop as you can so you don’t leave out any important details!
Sign & send your defense to court.
*We will send you a completed packet for the court that just needs your signature and a stamp!
What Types of Tickets Do We Help With?
GetDismissed produces results in fighting all kinds of tickets. Unfortunately, this list does not include exhibition of speed citations. Your best bet in fighting one of these infractions, is to contact an attorney. An attorney can negotiate on your behalf to try and reduce fines, or even to reduce the charges to a lesser infraction which could possibly qualify for traffic school.
We do however, contest infractions revolving around speeding, red lights, red light cameras, cell phones, signs (primarily stop signs), carpool violations, U-turns, out of lane violations, and commercial violations. If you receive a citation and have questions, contact us today.