Traffic Ticket Lawyer in Norfolk
Fighting Your Tickets in the Chesapeake Area
In Virginia, you can receive traffic tickets for speeding, overdue parking meters, not using turn signals, reckless driving (racing, faulty brakes, passing on a grade or curve, passing a stopped school bus, failure to yield right of way, aggressive driving, etc.) and parking in a handicapped zone without authorization.
You can also be cited for the following:
- Driving below the posted speed limit
- Running a stop sign
- Running a red light
- Driving without a seat belt
- Driving while intoxicated (DUI)
- Driving with invalid vehicle registration
- Having an expired or missing license plate
- Leaving a vehicle unattended and running
After you have received a traffic violation, you must respond by either paying a fine or appearing in court. Otherwise, a warrant could be issued for your arrest and your license could be suspended. Fines can range from $15 to $500.
If an infraction is especially serious, you could be saddled with an even heftier fine and could face imprisonment. If you want to dispute a citation, you can appear in court on the scheduled date and plead "not guilty." If no agreement is reached, a trial will be scheduled. You should hire Norfolk Traffic Ticket Attorney Curcione of Curcione Law, PLC to defend yourself, your wallet, and your driving privileges.
Call (757) 777-9207 today to start on your defense.
Why fight a ticket, instead of paying it off?
When you pay off a ticket, you are admitting that you were guilty. If you choose to pay off your ticket, you should be aware that you will receive a point on your driving record and if over time, you continue to accumulate more points, your license could be suspended. After paying off a traffic ticket, not only could your record be affected, your car insurance premium could go up.
Various traffic violations that can add points to your record are:
- If you are found guilty of reckless driving (six-point violation)
- If you are found guilty of DUI (six-point violation)
- 10-19 miles per hour speeding ticket (four-point violation)
- 1-9 miles per hour speeding ticket (three-point violation)
A six-point offense stays on your record for eleven years. A four-point or three-point violation stays on your record for five years. If in the course of one year you accumulate 18 points or if in the course of two years you accumulate 24 points, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will suspend your license.
In Virginia, if you are under 18 and you are convicted of a demerit-point traffic violation, you will have to complete a driver improvement clinic within 90 days. If you are under 18 and you commit a second demerit point, the DMV will suspend your license for 90 days. After a third demerit point, the DMV will revoke your license for one full year or until you reach 18 years of age, (whichever period is longer).
If you believe that you did not commit the offense in question, you should fight the citation with hard-hitting legal representation on your side!
Potential Defenses to Your Ticket
At Curcione Law, PLC we genuinely believe that there is no traffic violation on the records that cannot be defended against. Whether your penalties should be reduced or the whole case dismissed, there is always a way to improve your situation – you just need to know what to look for and what to do. This is where retaining the legal counsel of a former police officer becomes priceless. The prosecution will stick to a “by-the-book” method of trying to get a conviction, enabling our team to react quickly and decisively at every step they take.
Some of the defensive strategies we may want to consider for your case are:
- Speeding - Highway patrol officers may claim that they caught you speeding with the help of a radar gun, or a device that measures speed based on the frequency of returning radio waves. What they do not want you to know is that radar guns can be inaccurate and it is possible the officer was actually picking up the speed of someone else. Police officers are also free to say what they want to try to get a confession of guilt out of a suspect, including lying about having a radar gun at all; they may have just guesstimated your speed using their own discretion.
- Driving with no seatbelt - This is a commonly cited traffic violation but it is also a violation that is difficult for the state to enforce. How can an officer be sure you were not wearing a seatbelt when you drove by them? If you have ever tried to glance into another vehicle while you were on the road, you know firsthand how difficult it can be to make out any details. You may have also removed your seatbelt after pulling over at their behest, making it appear as if you had not been wearing it prior. You should always challenge such a citation.
- Reckless driving - The definition of reckless driving is operating your vehicle in such a way that it cannot be safely controlled and therefore endangers others. There is some room for interpretation in this law, something that our Norfolk reckless driving lawyer can use to your advantage. Regardless of how you were steering your vehicle, if you are skilled enough to control it, you were not technically driving recklessly.
Are You a Habitual Traffic Offender?
If you are a habitual offender or a commercial driver, it is imperative that you seek out legal representation immediately. As a habitual offender, police officers, judges, and prosecutors will not be inclined to take your offense lightly. As a commercial driver, your occupation and livelihood could be in jeopardy.
Get Curcione Law, PLC on your side!
No matter what the details surrounding your violation, Curcione Law, PLC is prepared to provide you with the aggressive legal defense you need and deserve! Attorney Curcione's knowledge, tenacity, and experience as a former police officer can give you a distinct advantage in court.
Call our firm today and get an attorney with eight years of experience as a police officer on your side! Set up your free case evaluation now!
