Most people who appear in traffic court are usually there because of
- Speeding
- Driving while intoxicated
- Not paying tickets
- Injuring someone
Whether you have decided to contest a traffic ticket or have been asked to appear in court, how you behave and what you say can affect your case’s outcome. A knowledgeable traffic ticket lawyer will advise a client not to resort to the following arguments.
You Didn’t Know Your Behavior Was Illegal.
Ignorance of the law is a poor excuse for not following it. As an adult driver who is licensed to drive a moving vehicle, you would not have a driver’s license at all if you did not know that you are expected to understand and follow traffic rules. You will increase the court’s ire, and the amount of your fine is you attempt this argument.
The Officer Doesn’t Like You
No one, especially the police officer who issued your ticket, will allow an argument purporting the officer dislikes you as a reason to dismiss your case. If you attempt this in court, you will appear to be petty, immature and ignorant. These are not desirable qualities to display when trying to convince the court to rescind your ticket.
The Law Isn’t Fair
Citing a traffic law as unfair is the supreme hollow argument. Your goal in traffic court is not to convince the judge to redesign the rules of the road; it is to come up with compelling reasons why your traffic ticket was not warranted. To do this, you will need to present facts and possibly evidence in the form of photos, witnesses and precedents.
No One Was Hurt
If you aim to anger the police officer, the judge and the entire court, this argument is an excellent way to accomplish that. When a state issues a driver’s license, it assumes that you will use it responsibly. The argument that you deserve leniency because you were lucky not to have hurt someone through your negligence will prove to the court that you don’t understand the gravity of your action. If you dare use this argument, you can be confident that the presiding judge will enforce the stiffest possible penalty to guarantee that you have no remaining doubts about the severity of your actions.
If you chose to fight a traffic ticket in court, make sure that you consult with a traffic lawyer, like from The Law Office of Mark T. Hurt, to make sure that you know how to effectively argue your case.
