San Bernardino Traffic Violations Lawyer
If you are cited for a traffic violation, the ticket can have a bigger impact on your life that you might expect. Your insurance rates likely will rise as a result of your offense, and the ticket will result in points on your license and a notation on your driving record that can disqualify you from certain employment. Too many of those points can even cause you to lose your license. Unfortunately, things can get even worse for those who ignore their traffic tickets or for those who are charged with criminal traffic offenses such as reckless driving or driving while impaired.
It is very important to know how to respond to a traffic citation and to do everything you can to protect your legal rights. A San Bernardino traffic violations lawyer at Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP can help you, so give us a call today.
A San Bernardino Traffic Violations Attorney Helps with Citations
You have a choice to make after being ticketed. You can simply pay the fine, but this is an admission of guilt and triggers the insurance rate increase and notation on your driving record.
Other options include trying to arrange a plea bargain or pleading not guilty to hopefully be found innocent of the traffic offense. Your San Bernardino traffic violations attorney can help you choose a prudent course of action if you’ve been cited for serious traffic offenses including:
- Failing to stop for a school bus
- Speeding
- Failing to yield the right-of-way
- Unpaid parking tickets
- Other misdemeanor traffic violations
You must respond to a traffic citation in some way, as failure to pay the fine or come to a hearing could result in a bench warrant being issued for your arrest. If this happens and there is a warrant out on you, you need to call a San Bernardino traffic violations attorney today because there is a very real risk you could be subject to arrest.
Criminal Traffic Offenses in San Bernardino
While getting legal help is always a good idea to protect your driving record, there are certain traffic offenses that have penalties much more serious than a simple speeding ticket. If you are charged with criminal traffic offenses such as driving while drunk or reckless driving, you will face the suspension of your license, large fines, a criminal record and possible jail time.
After a DUI arrest in California, you have just 10 days to try to avoid an automatic license suspension from the Department of Motor Vehicles, and if you do nothing your license will be suspended even before you are formally convicted of drunk driving. A suspended license can be a disaster for those who depend on a car to get to work and to fulfill personal and family obligations.
At Milligan, Beswick, Levine & Knox LLP, our San Bernardino traffic violations lawyers can help clients understand the charges they face when accused of traffic crimes. Our attorneys will put our legal knowledge to work to fight the charges and seek to minimize penalties or win a not guilty verdict.
Traffic Violations in San Bernardino
Drivers are expected to obey all traffic laws and rules of the road. If you break the rules, a law enforcement officer can pull you over. You will be given a written citation that describes the date and time of the alleged offenses, a list of violations you were cited for, the agency issuing the ticket, and the time and place where you promised to appear in court. You can receive this type of citation for many different driving behaviors including:
- Speeding
- Running a red light
- Failing to stop at a stop sign
- Not yielding the right-of-way
- Texting or using a cell phone while driving
Your Options After Receiving a Citation
When you receive a citation, you can pay the fine on your ticket and put an end to the matter, but this triggers demerit points on your license. A black mark on your driving record raises insurance costs, disqualifies you for certain careers, and could lead to a license suspension if you get too many points.
Instead of just paying your ticket, you may have other legal options. You can negotiate an agreement to avoid points on your license in many cases. You could also plead not guilty and try to avoid conviction for the traffic offense.
You don’t have to actually prove you didn’t break the rules of the road, since the prosecutor has the obligation to prove your guilt. A San Bernardino lawyer with experience in traffic violation cases can help you to make your arguments in court if you decide to challenge the ticket.
Get Help from a Traffic Violations Lawyer in San Bernardino
Our attorneys have decades of experience representing clients who need legal assistance with traffic violations in Southern California. Contact us today and let us protect your rights after you’ve been cited.
