No one likes to get a speeding ticket. But, if you are like me and like many of my clients, they are unavoidable (I’m a traffic attorney). Especially in Seattle, where I live, it seems like the cops are out in droves pulling people over for as many things as they can find. For example, I’ve seen more improper land changes, following too closely tickets, and failure to use turn signal tickets than I thought I ever would.
But traffic tickets to happen. And when they do, you’ve got a couple of choices on how you want to proceed. Some are expensive, some are cheap, but they all have benefits and costs.
The best option, if a deferral isn’t available, is to hire a traffic lawyer. They know the law, they know the procedures, they know the judges, and they know the prosecutors. They know how to get traffic tickets dismissed, and they know how to get them reduced if a dismissal isn’t an option. Those are the benefits. The costs are that they are the most expensive option and there are times when traffic attorneys lose. They don’t lose often, but they do lose occasionally.
The next best option is a deferral or some other mechanism where you do something (or in the case of a deferral you don’t do something – commit a traffic infraction for a year) and the ticket is dismissed. The benefits to this are obvious – and, it costs less than a traffic attorney. The down side is you can only use a limited number of times (in Seattle once every seven years) and if you get another infraction within a year you are toast.
After that is the option to fight the ticket yourself. This is the worst option by far. You have no idea what you are doing and you don’t know how to express your arguments to the judge in a way that they’ll understand and appreciate. The benefit to this is it’s free (except for your time). But the cost can be high.
There you go. The alternatives to hiring a traffic lawyer. There are some, and they may be right for you. If they aren’t, pick up the phone and call someone for help.
