Traffic tickets
Did you get a speeding or other traffic ticket?
Being issued a traffic ticket can be a frustrating experience at best, and at worst can impact your insurance, and potentially your job if you drive for a living. This is why it is so important to try to keep traffic tickets off your record by hiring a lawyer with a record of getting tickets dismissed. I have handled thousands of tickets over the last 15 years of my practice so I know exactly what it takes to keep you in the driver's seat.
What to do if you have received a ticket
You only have 15 days to respond to the traffic ticket. If you do not, the court will send it to the Department of Licensing as a Failure to Appear and the court sends the ticket to a collection agency and the DOL takes action to suspend your license. Contact an lawyer immediately upon receiving the ticket to ensure this does not happen, as once an FTA is entered and the suspension process begins, there is no guarantee that you can reverse those actions so the ticket can be dismissed.
I always recommend requesting a "Contested Hearing" as this keeps all your options open. If you request a mitigation hearing, the ticket goes on your record unless you request a deferred finding.
My 99% success rate
As a lawyer based in Tacoma, I have been representing Washington Drivers and fighting traffic tickets for over 15 years. I have handled thousands of tickets with a 99% success rate. My success results from either able to get the ticket dismissed entirely or reduced to a lesser violation so that it either does not go on your driver's record or have the impact on your insurance rates like the original citation would.
Wouldn't it be easier if I just requested a Deferred Finding?
If a traffic ticket cannot be dismissed, a deferred finding is an option a driver has to keep one moving and one non moving violation off their record every 7 years. A deferral is an agreement with the court to get no tickets for up to one year, pay a court fine and sometimes attend a traffic school. I don't recommend a deferred finding in most circumstances as often there are other ways to keep the ticket off your record instead of using this option. There are also several exceptions that vary from court to court as to why you wouldn't be granted a deferral, often courts won't grant one if the ticket was in a school zone, involving an accident, and it is always up to the judge's discretion. CDL holders are never eligible to receive a deferral.
This type of infraction deferral or deferred finding is not to be confused with a "Deferred Prosecution" on a DUI or other misdemeanor charge.
I have a Commercial License. Can you help?
Absolutely, and as a lawyer I have represented trucking companies and the traffic tickets their drivers get for over 15 years, so I know how important it is to get tickets dismissed and to keep tickets off not only the driver's record, but the company's as well. My many years of experience representing commercial drivers means I know what it takes to keep you on the road.
My teen has an Intermediate License. Shouldn't I just have them learn their lesson and pay the traffic ticket?
As a parent myself, I understand the goal of wanting your teen driver to be responsible for their actions. However, what most parents don't understand is the impact a traffic ticket has on not only the teen's record but on the parent's insurance. I have had many parents want their child to "suffer the consequences" only to find that having two traffic tickets or more on their record, their child's license is now suspended which places a hardship on the family to provide transportation in addition to skyrocketing insurance rates. Don't let this happen to you-contact me today and I can go over the full spectrum of possibilities with you so you don't end up being the one punished.