In California, unpaid fines, tickets and court costs (collectively called “fines” in this guide), can lead to your arrest — even when those fines resulted from traffic violations and the lowest level misdemeanors (called “Class C misdemeanors”). If you do not have enough money to pay your fines immediately, the court must offer you alternatives like community service or a monthly payment plan. You should never be jailed for failing to pay fines that you cannot afford.
Be Cautious About Payments Before You Plead. Some courts contract with law firms or collection agencies to collect unpaid fines, and you may receive letters from such firms threatening your arrest. Payment of any money to these agencies, like payment to the court, can be considered a guilty plea, potentially waiving your right to a trial or to contest the amount owed. The following are some practical steps you can take to avoid arrest and jail time for unpaid fines. Protect yourself from higher insurance rates, points on your license, and a bad driving record.
Need a Traffic Ticket Fixer?
A single traffic ticket can result in hundreds of dollars’ worth of fines. In many cities and counties, you can check online to see things like the amount you still owe, the status of your case, or whether a warrant has been issued for your arrest. You can always call the clerk of court to check on this information too.
Additionally, in California, you may end up with points on your driving record, which can accumulate and end up in you getting your license suspended. There are many ways hiring professional ticket fighters can help you protect your rights and get through this time all right.
Lawyers Can Try To Get the Ticket Dismissed
While there are no guarantees, having a lawyer does increase your chances of getting the entire ticket dismissed. This will occur if you comply with an issued probationary period, plea to a less serious violation or see if the issuing officer fails to appear in court.
Attorneys Can at Least Try To Reduce Ticket Penalties
Receiving a ticket for speeding 15 miles per hour over the speed limit can result in fines over $360. Although a lawyer may not be able get the entire fine thrown out completely, there is a distinct possibility it can be substantially reduced. It is also possible for the lawyer to keep points off your record, and even if you still have to pay some of the fine, maintaining a clean record will help immensely.
Lawyers Can Negotiate Alternative Disciplines
Attorneys are intricately familiar with California driving laws, so they may be able to convince a judge to give you a lesser sentence. For example, you may be able to attend traffic school to get the entire ticket dismissed and any points removed from your record. Going to traffic school can also help reduce your insurance, which tends to go up after a ticket.
In nearly every state, there are hard-and-fast rules governing traffic violations. Our attorneys have an in-depth knowledge of these rules, and are skilled at identifying errors made by police officers in the process of issuing citations. Often, these small and frequently unnoticed mistakes will result in the complete dismissal of all charges.
You deserve to hire the best traffic ticket lawyer in Los Angeles to help you as you go to court. No matter how much you think you know about the legal process, you will not know as much as an attorney who has been handling these cases for years.
Many people believe that if they simply go to court to fight the ticket or just outright pay
the ticket, they won’t be burdened by the matter anymore. This is untrue. If a person elects
to plead guilty to the speeding offense, the person’s insurance rates may increase and the person may be one step closer to having his or her license suspended. Therefore, you need to contact a lawyer promptly.
