I just got my first speeding ticket - now what?
Whether you’ve been driving for six months or sixty years, getting pulled over and being handed a speeding ticket is a stressful and unpleasant experience.
Hopefully, you remained calm, provided information that was requested and nothing more, and you’re no longer parked at the side of the road waiting to find out whether the officer is going to come back with a warning, or an actual ticket with a court date.
Getting a ticket can bring up a lot of different feelings, and it’s okay to take the time you need to find your center. You will need to deal with the ticket, though, and if it’s your first one then you at least have that clean record to lean on this time around.
Here are some steps you can take:
safeguard that ticket. More than one person who has called my office has misplaced the ticket, which can be a problem. In upstate New York, traffic tickets are handled in local courts, and it is not easy to find out what court you’re due in without that piece of paper. Sometimes, the driver has to wait for a judge to suspend their driving privileges for missing the court date, just to find out which court it was in the first place. Don’t be that guy.
get a free consultation. If you upload your traffic ticket at this link, an attorney will call you to discuss your case.
plead not guilty before the due date. There is a date on the first page of the ticket (the one with two columns; it’s under the court information at the bottom left) by which you need to get your plea filed. If you hire an attorney, your attorney will do this for you.
get a copy of your driving abstract. Your abstract, or driving history, will show that you have a clean record. Some prosecutors will get their own copy before the court date, but others will ask you or to send it to them. New York drivers can get a driving abstract at this link. For other states and provinces, search online for “[state or province] driving abstract” to find the instructions for ordering.
If you’re honest with your attorney, you are setting up that lawyer to get the best possible outcome for your traffic case. For first-time offenders, it’s entirely possible to get a speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving violation that won’t impact your insurance rates. Call Selby Legal to discuss the circumstances of your situation.