Part 1 of 3-part series, prepared by Peter L. Johnston, Esq., Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney
Getting a traffic ticket is not only an aggravating and embarrassing event, but it also has significant legal ramifications which can lead to costly fines, greatly affect the amount that you pay for automobile insurance and, in some cases, jeopardize your privilege to drive. One thing to bear in mind is that traffic tickets are quasi-criminal cases. While they rarely involve prison time (except in extreme cases), the state is still bound to prove the violation against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
If you believe that you have a good defense to the alleged violation, you have a right to contest that ticket at a trial. However, you must exercise that right within the time frame outlined by the ticket. Otherwise, you could be deemed to waive that right and be found guilty of the violation in absentia. If you do intend to the contest the ticket, it is advisable to have counsel at the hearing on the ticket as your defense is likely to be pursued more effectively and competently as attorneys are generally more conversant with the Vehicle Code and trial procedure than an ordinary layperson.
You may also want to request a hearing on the ticket in an effort to negotiate the violation down to a lesser consequence. In those instances, it would be advisable to retain an attorney as an attorney is likely to be more conversant with the various provisions of the Vehicle Code and can negotiate a more reasonable outcome which is likely to be accepted by the state. For instance, it may be possible to negotiate a violation that carries points down to one which carries fewer or no points, does not involve insurance surcharges, involves a lesser fine or leads to you being convicted to only a non-moving violation (which does not carry significant consequences).