More Tips on what to do about your Traffic Ticket :

ATTORNEY REPRESENTATION: You may hire an attorney to appear in court on your behalf even if you receive a notice that state that your appearance is "mandatory".  Your attorney will make all necessary appearances.  You do not have to be present.  But if YOU want to represent yourself, how should you handle the situation?

RESPONDING TO THE CITATION: WHEN ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO RESPOND?
The officer issuing you a citation will write ON THE TICKET the date by which you must respond with the following options:
             GUILTY:                   You pay the fine and it goes on your driving
                                                record.  The length of time it stays on your record depends on the seriousness of the violation.
You may appear in court and give a judge a brief explanation and this might lower your fine.

             NOT GUILTY:          You pay the bail amount and set a court
                                                date to fight the ticket.

             TRAFFIC SCHOOL: (IF AVAILABLE IN YOUR STATE)
                                                If you have not attended traffic school
                                                within the prescribed policy of that
                                                particular court you can pay an "administrative fee" to the court and get a list of traffic schools.  Then you
                                                schedule class with a traffic school and pay whatever they charge.  Your citation is dismissed upon the return of your traffic school certificate.

             NO CONTEST:         This is the same as a guilty plea except
                                                  that if your case is the result of a traffic accident, a "No Contest" plea cannot be used against you in a future civil trial.

You are required to make one of these options by the date indicated on the citation, WHETHER OR NOT YOU GET A "COURTESY NOTICE" IN THE MAIL!.  You cannot say "I never got anything in the mail".

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND BY THE DATE ON THE CITATION?:
You have now committed a totally NEW offense, separate from the reason the officer pulled you over.  For this new offense (FAILURE TO APPEAR.."FTA") you can get a very heavy fine and/or go to jail, your drivers license can be suspended or withheld.

WHAT ARE YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS IN TRAFFIC COURT?:
As an innocent defendant, you have the following rights:
             1.              To be informed of the charges against you in
                              open court.

             2.              To have a continuance if you need one to
                              consult an attorney, or to decide how you
                              wish to plead, or for other good cause.

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