Traffic Lawyer in Carroll County, VA
Looking for a traffic lawyer in Carroll County, Virginia? The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt can help. Everyone has to deal with a traffic ticket at some point in time, whether it’s for speeding, failing to yield, or anything else. Traffic tickets can be expensive, and while you might be aware that you can fight your ticket in court, you might also be thinking that it’d just be easiest to pay your ticket off. After all, what kind of arguments can you make to get out of a ticket?
Some of the most common arguments against tickets aren’t effective at all. You might have thought about using a few strategies to get out of a ticket:
- “I was stressed out!” Unfortunately, being stressed won’t get you out of a ticket. The simple fact of the matter is that everyone is stressed by something in their lives, and billions of people still manage to drive every day while being stressed – without landing themselves a speeding ticket.
- “I was late to work! I had an appointment!” Once again, an often-quoted excuse completely fails when tried in court. The law doesn’t care if you have to clock in on time. In court, there’s no excuse for speeding, and the only appointment you’ll have to make after trying this one is with traffic school.
- “I didn’t know the speed limit.” Avoid trying this argument as well. In Virginia, new drivers are taught that if they don’t know the speed limit, they should drive 55 MPH on highways and 25 in residential or business areas. You might not have known the speed limit, but it’s pretty easy to see how fast a judge can shoot down this argument.
You might have thought these arguments would work, but these strategies aren’t effective. Don’t try them. They just boil down to excuses, and the court doesn’t have time to hear excuses that won’t hold up.
There are real, effective arguments to get out of a speeding ticket – but unfortunately, telling the court that you were stressed out, were running late, or didn’t know the speed limit, will only end with you paying the ticket – and probably court fees, too. Instead of trying these ineffective arguments against your ticket, reach out to the professionals and contact a Carroll County, VA traffic lawyer.
How Can I Fight My Ticket?
The best way to get out of a traffic ticket is by examining facts. Did a police officer use a radar gun? Those are known to be faulty, and should be regularly calibrated by the department. Do you have solid evidence that you weren’t speeding? Maybe you were using GPS, or a dash cam? Use this information to your advantage: situational excuses won’t help, but hard evidence will.
There are always ways to fight a ticket, and a qualified traffic ticket lawyer can provide more information for you. You can pay your fine, or you can fight your ticket – but if you decide to fight your ticket, you need to make sure you have the best defense possible. Reaching out to a traffic lawyer in Carroll County, VA, is the first step to fighting back – contact the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt today, and get a free consultation.
6 Misconceptions About Traffic Tickets
If the Officer Makes a Mistake on the Ticket, the Charges Will Be Dropped
Minor mistakes like spelling errors, wrong numbers or other typos won’t get you out of the ticket. Only flaws like misidentification of the car, forgetting to sign the ticket or citing the wrong traffic violation will invalidate the ticket. Ask a Carroll County, VA traffic lawyer from the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt if the error on your ticket is sufficient to successfully contest it in court.
You Automatically Win if the Ticketing Officer Doesn’t Show Up in Court
Not all jurisdictions require the ticketing officer to show up in court. In other areas, officers are compelled to appear in court, and if they don’t, the judge will throw out the case. Your Carroll County, VA traffic lawyer can help you understand the law in Virginia.
Good Excuses Can Help You Get Out of a Ticket
Giving the officer an excuse or trying to explain why you were speeding is an admission that you knew you were speeding, and may be used against you in a court of law. As a Carroll County, VA traffic lawyer might advise you, the best answer to the question, “Do you know why I pulled you over?” is usually, “No sir/ma’am.”
When Passing Another Driver It’s Okay To Speed
It’s almost never okay to speed, and passing a slower driver is not a case where you might be able to get away with it. If you can’t safely pass without speeding, you’ll have to stay behind the slower vehicle until it’s not dangerous and won’t require you breaking the law.
Driving With the Flow of Traffic Will Get You Out of a Ticket
Similarly to trying to pass another driver, claiming you were only driving with the flow of traffic won’t get you out of a ticket. The “but he was doing it, too” defense didn’t work on your elementary school playground. It doesn’t work any better in a court of law.
You Can’t Get a Ticket for Driving the Speed Limit
Speed limit laws were written for optimal driving conditions. On a clear summer day, it may be safe to drive 70 mph down the highway. However, in wintery weather, that same 70 mph speed could be cited as speeding and reckless endangerment. A Carroll County, VA traffic lawyer from the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt can help you defend your case in court if you are ticketed for driving the speed limit.