Personal Injury Lawyer

To be pulled over for a DWI can be an extremely sensitive situation. You may not know what to do next. Before you make any moves, it’s important to clear up three major myths regarding traffic court and tickets.

Cops Don’t Go to Court

Some people believe that cops do not show up in traffic court and hence won’t be there to testify. Some even think that if the cop doesn’t show up, the case gets thrown out. The truth is that if you are charged with a traffic offense, especially a serious offense, then the cop will show up to testify. It is important to have a defense ready.

You Don’t Have to Show Up

You just received your speeding ticket and court date but everyone you know is telling you that you don’t have to show up for court. Perhaps they said that if you don’t show up, it’ll get thrown out. Maybe they said that you can pay your fine and get out of court. Only one of those answers is true.

You can pay your traffic ticket to the clerk’s office. In many cases, this means that you do not have to got to traffic court. Now, this is only for minor crimes. If you have a speeding ticket, for instance, then you probably won’t have to show up for court if you pay it. However, if you have a DUI or any other serious offense, you need to show up for court. If you don’t show up, there will be a bench warrant issued for you.

Traffic Tickets Don’t Cross State Lines

It is a common misconception that if you receive a ticket in one state, that you can go to another and never worry about the ticket again. The problem with this myth is that there are 46 states that report traffic offenses to one another. This means that if you are charged with a traffic offense in one state, it will still affect your license in another.

When it comes to DUI charges, you cannot run from them. They will follow you and you will have to appear in court. In fact, in order to have your DUI penalties transferred to another state, that state has to have the same penalties available.

If you were charged with a DUI, it is crucial that you have a lawyer to defend you. Do not buy into the myths around traffic court and keep in mind that DUIs are serious driving offenses. To find out more about what you can do, contact a DUI lawyer to discuss your options. Get started by calling a Traffic Violation Lawyer, like the lawyers at The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt, to arrange a consultation.