Fighting a speeding ticket in Columbus, Ohio, is relatively straightforward and often successful. The process does require commitments of time and money. It is often beneficial to hire speeding ticket lawyers like those from The Maher Law Firm to help.
Consult With a Speeding Ticket Attorney
Deciding to fight a speeding ticket requires weighing the inconvenience of doing so against the ease and consequences of paying the fine and accepting points against your driver’s license. A knowledgeable Columbus, Ohio, speeding ticket defense lawyer will be able to talk through the pros and cons in relation to your specific charge. We can also help you estimate the cost of going to court with legal representation and predict the likely outcome of a defense.
Be prepared to consult with your advising attorney and to share a copy of the ticket you were issued. Expect to discuss all the circumstances that led to your being pulled over as well everything you and the police officer did and said during the encounter. Your own personal situation will also factor into the decision to go to court. For instance, if you risk losing a job that requires having a commercial driver’s license or you drive a company car, keeping a clean driving record may be necessary to keeping your job.
Request a Court Date
Speeding fines are usually due shortly after the date on which a ticket was issued. Paying them by the deadline on the citation amounts to pleading guilty without going through a trial. The Traffic Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court often holds the first hearing for drivers accused of speeding within two weeks. Contesting the ticket involves showing up to court on your scheduled court date and entering a not guilty. Check the small print at the bottom of your ticket for your court date. If you are unsure of what to do at this first hearing, you may request a continuance to seek counsel. It is wise to have a traffic attorney with you every step of the way in traffic court. Call The Maher Law Firm to discuss the benefits of having a traffic attorney with you in court.
Get Equipment Specifications and Maintenance Records
Hiring a Columbus, Ohio, speeding ticket lawyer for your court hearing will allow you to skip this first hearing. At this hearing, we will request, collect, and analyze any and all evidence in your case. We will use this evidence to mount a defense. Some of the most helpful evidence will be details regarding the electronic and/or mechanical devices the police officer used to track and record your vehicle’s speed before pulling you over.
Ohio law requires verifiable evidence from a radar gun, laser device, stopwatch, or a police cruiser’s speedometer to affirm a speed violation. Device specs and maintenance records will indicate whether the machinery was reliable at the time. Additional information requested from the police department will show whether the officer who issued the ticket was properly trained in using the device.
Keep Your Court Date
The officer who wrote your speeding ticket must appear in court to testify at trial. If the officer misses the trial date, the charge may be dismissed.
If the officer does appear, you should also be in attendance to provide your account of events and to ensure that all the evidence supporting your defense is heard and considered.
Consider Pleading to a Lesser Offense
Having a traffic attorney attend the first hearing on your speeding ticket also creates the opportunity to accept a lesser penalty. For instance, admitting to going a few miles too fast instead of “pleading” guilty to the speed as recorded by just paying a ticket may spare you points and save you money on fines and resulting insurance increases.
To learn more about your options from a Columbus, Ohio, speeding ticket attorney, contact The Maher Law online or call us at (614) 205-2208. The initial consultation is free!
