Roads are quite uncertain and accidents are a part of it. But what shouldn’t be a part of it is traffic violations. It isn’t something new that people at times don’t follow traffic rules and jump a light or over speed. However, if it’s your unlucky day and you are charged for a traffic violation, it isn’t a pleasant experience. Traffic violations may not be that big of a deal, but it brings along more than just a slap on the wrist. In the state of Pennsylvania, criminal traffic cases are handled pretty seriously and it can affect you in numerous ways.
How does a traffic violation charge affect you?
Traffic violations can be as minor as jumping a signal to as severe as drunk driving and hitting someone. In Pennsylvania, the transport department maintains a detailed driver record including details of violations. And repeat offenders are penalized in various ways.
Based on the kind of crime, violation points are added to a driver’s profile. Accumulating with each conviction, these points can affect you more than just fines. Faults like overspeeding, careless driving and failure to stop are minor ones and have low weightage. However severe ones like driving under suspension, DUI, eluding a police officer could lead to serious implications.
All these add to heavy fines and could even lead to license suspension. However, this also affects your insurance premiums, trouble getting a license renewal, or even buying a vehicle.
What can you do if you are being charged?
If you are being charged with a crime in Pennsylvania and ticketed for a traffic violation, understand your charge. The very first thing about handling traffic crime convictions in Pennsylvania is to plead not guilty. This would get you a hearing at the court and the idea is to have the charges dropped or at least get the points reduced.
In most cases, lawyers try to get the violation charges to be reduced to a simple misdemeanor. These can further be cleared with a small fine and not listed on the driver record. But, it isn’t as easy as it sounds, and you need to be strategic about it.
For simpler convictions like failure to stop or careless driving, you could get away with a fine. But for crimes like fleeing the scene of an accident, drag racing, homicide, or assault, the results are grave. And even more tricky to counter or evade in court. If you have been charged with such a crime, you better be proactive and hire a professional to manage it for you. An experienced attorney understands the intricacies of the law and how to draft an action plan.
Are you facing a criminal charge against you and need assistance? Our team of attorneys at Lento Law Firm specializes in criminal defense and helps you with your troubles. With years of experience and success, the lawyers can defend you in court and help navigate through the complex process. Get in touch with your team and improve your chances of a clean record.
