Do I need an Attorney to handle my Traffic Ticket?

This is a question that is posed numerous times to me each and every week. The answer is a resounding YES!

I have heard this common scenario many times in my practice; a Driver in a frantic rush to get to work, pick up a child, get to class, (enter any other good reason here) is pulled over by an officer and is issued a Civil Infraction Ticket for Speeding. Generally, a driver’s first thought is to avoid any dreaded points on their Driver’s License. They will convey this message to the Officer as he/she is issuing the ticket and the Officer will say something along the lines of, “This is a 0 point ticket. Just pay the fine.” The driver will then send a check to the appropriate court and assume the issue is behind them.

In my experience I have learned that not all “0 Point” tickets are created equally. Many times that ticket will be written up as a Limited Access Speed 1-5 Over infraction. Although this is in fact a 0 Point ticket in regards to your driving record, a report will be sent (abstract is the legal term) to the Secretary of State. Often times this will result in insurance premiums and/or a Basic Driver Improvement Course among other potential inconveniences to your time and money. Suddenly, that 0 Point ticket that you thought was done has come back to haunt you! In fact, only 5% of motorists contest their tickets!

This is just the tip of the iceberg as many Civil Infractions, that appear to be minor in nature, carry multiple points on your driving record. Simply rolling a stop sign slightly can result in a 3 point ticket!

Refer to the Michigan Secretary of State website for a complete list of the Point System:
SOS Point System

The driver’s license point system is very important because it is used to determine high risk drivers. This can result in a suspension of one’s license after a person accumulates 12 or more points within a two year period. If this does in fact happen, the Secretary of State may invoke a Driver Assessment Re-examination of one’s License. This is NOT something that a Licensed Driver wants to go through.

When I am retained on any traffic matter, I attempt to reduce or avoid points on one’s License as well as avoiding any report being sent to the Secretary of State. It is crucial to have an attorney fight every ticket because they will have a negative affect on future tickets. My goal is always to secure a dismissal in a traffic matter if possible. If a dismissal is not possible I always fight for a 0 point non-abstractable offense such as Impeding Traffic, Double Parking, Sudden Acceleration, or Defective Equipment. Once the fine is paid these type of resolutions will not appear on the driving record and will not affect your insurance premiums. Do not be the motorist that pays a traffic ticket to save a few bucks up front by not hiring an attorney and then has to pay insurance premium increases for 3-5 years!

I handle all traffic matters in courts throughout the State of Michigan including 37th District Court (Warren), 38th District Court (Eastpointe), 39th District Court (Roseville/Fraser), 40th District Court (St. Claire Shores), 41A District Court (Sterling Heights/Shelby Township), 41B District Court (Clinton Township), 42nd District Court (Romeo/New Baltimore) as well as 43rd District Court (Hazel Park/Madison Heights), 44th District Court (Royal Oak), 45th District Court (Oak Park), 46th District Court (Southfield), 47th District Court (Farmington Hills), 48th District Court (Bloomfield Hills), 50th District Court (Pontiac), 51st District Court (Waterford), 52-1 District Court (Novi), 52-2 District Court (Clarkston), 52-3 District Court (Rochester Hills), and 52-4 District Court (Troy).

Feel free to contact me pertaining to any Legal Matters.