Many people who are issued traffic citations are unsure of whether they need to retain an attorney who practices in the area of criminal defense. After all, most traffic tickets are civil infractions rather than criminal violations, meaning that the potential penalties that a court may impose are much less severe. It is important for motorists to understand, however, that even minor traffic tickets can have serious financial repercussions, and accumulating several of them can even jeopardize your right to drive. In addition, more serious violations such as Operating Under the Influence can result in a jail sentence. For this reason, it is extremely important for anyone that has been accused of a traffic violation to talk to an attorney as soon as possible about the options.
An Attorney can Help
It may be very tempting for anyone who has received a traffic citation to simply pay the fine by mail and move on with his or her life. Unfortunately, doing so is an admission of guilt, which may result in many unintended consequences down the road. Massachusetts uses a Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) in which drivers who accumulate points pay higher insurance premiums than those that demonstrate safe driving by not accumulating points. An attorney can often negotiate a traffic offense in such a way as to keep points from being added to your license.
One of the most common ways that traffic offenses can result in more significant legal problems is when people simply fail to pay a fine by the required date (which we have already determined is not the best course of action) or if they fail to show up to a required court date. When this occurs, a court may issue a warrant for their arrest due to their failure to appear. As a result, they may be facing arrest if they are pulled over or if law enforcement happens to process their name during an encounter for any other reason. Arrest is never a pleasant experience and can often result in significant problems at school or at work. Fortunately, when you retain an attorney to represent you regarding a traffic citation, your attorney will ensure that all deadlines are met. In addition, your lawyer can often obtain leeway with the court in terms of getting you more time to pay any fines or engage in any tasks that may be relevant to the disposition of your case.
Contact a Boston Criminal Defense Lawyer
The best way of avoiding having relatively minor traffic offenses turning into serious legal problems is to call an attorney immediately after you receive a citation. By doing so, you can rest assured that your traffic offense case will be handled in a timely manner and with as little long-term consequence as possible. Boston criminal defense attorney Edward R. Molari is committed to helping people who are accused of traffic offenses bring their case the most favorable resolution possible. To schedule a free consultation with Mr. Molari, call our office today at 617-942-1532.