What You Need to Know About Georgia Traffic Tickets: Protect Your Rights
Many cities, towns, and counties throughout Georgia fund their jurisdictions by issuing traffic tickets and citations. These tickets can add up quickly, but if you’re one of the many people who receive a citation, you should know your rights. Paying that ticket without understanding the legal consequences could cost you more than just money. In fact, once you pay your citation, you’re essentially pleading guilty to the offense.
Why You Shouldn’t Pay a Ticket Right Away
Paying a traffic ticket might seem like the easiest solution, but it has serious legal consequences. Once you submit payment, it is considered an admission of guilt, which can lead to:
- Points on your driving record: Accumulating points can result in higher insurance premiums or even the suspension of your license.
- Fines and fees: Georgia cities and counties often rely on traffic fines for funding, and paying without a fight adds to their coffers.
- Potential impact on your career: Some jobs require a clean driving record, and pleading guilty could hurt your employment prospects.
You Have the Right to a Defense
Receiving a traffic ticket doesn’t mean you are automatically guilty. You have the right to a defense, and it’s important to exercise that right by consulting with an attorney before paying any fines. An attorney can help you:
- Understand the specific charges: Traffic laws can be complicated, and the exact nature of your violation might not be clear at first glance.
- Explore legal options: An attorney can negotiate reduced charges, dismissals, or alternative penalties like defensive driving courses.
- Protect your driving record: A lawyer may be able to reduce or eliminate the points added to your license, helping you avoid insurance hikes or license suspension.
The Importance of Acting Quickly
Don’t wait to address your traffic ticket. Delaying could limit your legal options, especially if a court date has already been set. The sooner you consult with an attorney, the more likely they are to help you avoid unnecessary penalties. Remember, once you pay the citation, you’ve officially pled guilty.
Conclusion
Traffic tickets may seem like a minor inconvenience, but the legal consequences can be far-reaching. Before paying your citation, contact David who can help you navigate Georgia’s traffic laws, protect your driving record, and explore options for your defense. Don’t let a ticket damage your driving record or your future. Get the legal help you need today.
COVID has created some challenges in nearly all aspects of our lives. Education and jobs have been put on hold. Healthcare has seen a massive intake of patients due to Covid or the after effects. In spite of these obstacles there is no excuse for our health care centers, hospitals or long-term treatment centers to ignore patients to the degree that they develop bedsores or other pressure ulcers. Simply put, Covid is NOT an excuse for bedsores, pressure sores or other forms of patient neglect.
Nursing homes, assisted living, rehab centers, and even hospitals are full in many areas of the country. Just as we thought we had this pandemic behind us, we see another spike in the outbreak of this disease. In addition to this, we are also facing a shortage of employees like most of us have not seen in many years. That means that the caretakers and care providers in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living locations, and even rehab centers are facing maximum capacity without adequate staffing.
Bedsores and pressure sores develop on the skin from neglect. This happens when the body is stagnant in one position for a long period of time. Caregivers and caretakers know they must turn the body and care for the body of the patients who are susceptible to these types of wounds. The facility is responsible for the lack of care given a patient who develops bedsores or pressure sores. If you believe a loved one is in a facility where he or she is not being cared for properly, has developed these types of wounds or is being neglected, contact us immediately. David has the knowledge, skill and legal expertise to help you help your loved ones.
COVID-19 is not an excuse for neglect. Covid is not an excuse for the understaffing. Covid is not an excuse for the lack of patient care that is required to prevent a patient from developing bedsores and pressure sores. In these types of injuries, your loved one can become ill suddenly. These types of wounds can become fatal. If you suspect neglect, contact us immediately.
See the following helpful articles relating to bedsores, neglect and elder abuse
Bedsores and Other Signs of Elder Abuse
A failure to appear in court in the state of Georgia can get you locked up. That means jail time. When you receive a traffic ticket, you are asked to sign the ticket. Your signature states that you will appear in court unless the ticket is paid before the court date. In some cases, you MUST appear, and cannot pay your way out of a court appearance. Either way, if you are required to appear but miss your court date, you will be charged with a failure to appear and a bench warrant will be issued.
After a failure to appear, you lose the option to pay the fine and make the ticket go away. This will most certainly result in a criminal record if not handled properly.
When you receive a citation, it’s always best to consult an attorney to learn your options. Some citations allow you to simply pay. However, paying is also a statement of guilt and can have an affect on your driving record, your insurance rates and more. And although it can be tempting to drive without a license, it will make your situation even worse.
If you are facing any of these issues, or know someone who is, contact David Crawford. He will work with you to clear your record, help you in your court appearance or resolve your traffic related issue.
Read what David’s clients have said below and then give him a call.
Testimonials: https://legalpatriot.com/testimonials/
Facebook is still the most popular game in town. Although it began with teens, it has now become the most popular online app across the world with young and old, alike. People use it for a variety of reasons, personal and business. Think about the ways we use Facebook today. We use it to stay informed about our friends and acquaintances, to meet new people, to learn about events, listen to music, to shop, promote political or other views, share stories and photos and vent about our lives. While Facebook has become so utterly entrenched in our lives (imagine a day without it), and it can be a valuable tool for sharing news and information quickly to a large group, let’s take a look at how Facebook posts can hurt your case if you have a pending legal matter or are under investigation.
False Sense of Security
We often think that when we are on our computer or our phone, we have safety and privacy in our posts. This has led to a false sense of security. Recent events in the news regarding Facebook have shown that there are many companies that have access to our data. When something is placed online, whether it’s Facebook or another social media platform, we do not know who is viewing our content. But one thing is for sure, EVERY company can allow law enforcement to view the content. Social media companies actively participate with law enforcement to create a safe environment online.
Examples of Evidence
If you have a criminal case ongoing or there is an investigation that involves you, here are some examples of ways law enforcement may use social media that can affect you:
- Announcements of your behavior – ex: “I got arrested yesterday for driving without insurance!”
- Descriptions of your recent or past actions – ex: “I been driving without insurance for 2 years! Finally got busted!?”
- Descriptions or photos of your drug use – ex: “Glad they didn’t see these laying in my seat. LOL” (with photos of a bong)
- Images or information that suggest more serious crimes or additional crimes – ex: “I am really freaking out! I think I hit someone but I was drinking and I left the scene. How can I find out if he is ok?”
- Information that may support or negate an alibi ex: photos showing him with his friends drinking at the time of the hit and run in the vicinity of where there was a person hit
- Information or conversations that indicate a planning of the crime (goes to premeditation) – ex: “Dude, it wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I was supposed to just hit a car. There wasn’t supposed to be a person in it. How did this happen?” (written in a private message on Facebook)
What To Do?
Many people realize they have posted something that may harm their case and delete the post and any comments. Unfortunately, this does not erase the information. If law enforcement has already begun to investigate, chances are they have seen the information, and your deletion of it only makes you appear more suspicious.
Here are the recommended steps to take in these situations:
- Do not panic.
- If you have NOT yet posted about your legal situation (criminal or civil), DO NOT. We know it’s tempting to vent. Do not do it online.
- If you have posted about it. Leave it alone and do not post anymore about it. Do not even comment on it.
- Most important – Obtain some legal advice from an attorney.
Contact Us Now
If you, or a loved one, finds yourself in a situation involving traffic tickets, a DUI, driving without insurance or other criminal matters, contact our office. David Crawford has the knowledge, experience and compassion to help see that your rights are protected. There is no reason to let a mistake or a bad decision affect your entire life. Attorney David Crawford’s will fight for your rights.
Clients often ask about ways to prevent losing their license after being ticketed for speeding. Here are some tips regarding your driving license.
- If you receive a speeding ticket driving over 85 miles per hour on any road or highway or 75 miles per hour on any two lane road or highway, you should contact an attorney before paying the ticket. This is known as a super speeder ticket and while it is a misdeanor, it can have far reaching ramifications on you as a driver.
- Do not ignore traffic tickets, even if they are out of state fines. States regularly communicate with one another and an unpaid ticket in another state can result in a suspension of your license in Georgia.
- A suspended license is not the same as a permanent revocation. If your license is suspended, contact an attorney so you can begin working on ways to restore your license immediately so you do not lose it for good.
- Driving without automobile insurance in Georgia will cost you money and may cost your license. Do not chance it.
- Do not drive if you think your license has been suspended or revoked. This will only make getting your license reinstated a much harder task. You can check on your license status by reaching out to the Georgia DMV online here.
A few other tips are a bit more obvious but we will list them here because we feel remiss if we do not.
- Do not drink and drive. Call a friend, take a taxi or get an Uber. Not only is driving while under the influence illegal, it’s deadly.
- Be sure to get your license renewed BEFORE the deadline. If you are stopped and your license is expired, you effectively have no valid license.
- Be sure to have a valid proof of auto insurance with you when you drive. If is not the police officer’s job to look for it; it is your job to provide it for him or her when they request it.
If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime, contact us. Attorney David Crawford has the experience and knows exactly where to start.
It’s often very difficult making the decision for our parents to move into a nursing home. Nobody wants to think about their parents being mistreated. Unfortunately, it can and does happen. Consider this scenario: “Jared” goes to visit his mom regularly at the nursing home. While normally upbeat and happy, he notices she has become fearful and withdrawn. When he inquires, she says everything is fine. He begins to notice small bruises on her arm. She says she bruises easily. He asks the staff and they state that it’s due to her age and part of the aging process. Jared believes there is more to the story. What can he do? How can a person in this situation get the true details? This is why you may need an investigator if your loved one is in a nursing home.
All Nursing Homes Are Not The Same
If you have followed the news in Georgia recently, you may have noticed an increase in legislative efforts to crack down on nursing home neglect and abuse. This is due to the number of reports coming in regarding the overall treatment of elderly patients in facilities, including nursing homes. These abuses include neglect, causing
bedsores or pressure sores. Bedsores can be fatal if gone untreated.
A nursing home may appear to have the best staff on the surface. Meanwhile, when nobody is watching, things can take a drastic turn. Patients can be neglected, verbally abused or even physically abused. Neglect can be in the form of withholding medication or refusing to assist in daily needs. The problem may be with all employees and the attitude coming from management or it may be a few rogue employees on one shift.
The Way To Learn The Truth: Investigate
If your loved one is in a nursing home and you have any concerns about his or her well being, you may need an investigator. What can an investigator do to help you? First, an investigator can do a financial background check on the company. As a representative of the family, the investigator can do even more:
- Drop-in visits to see the patient
- Personal observations between patient and staff
- Checking the physical condition of patient (weight for possible malnutrition) for injuries, marks, bruises
- Checking the room for cleanliness including bed sheets and bathroom if appropriate
- Speaking to the patient about their stay at the home (if appropriate)
- Visiting public areas of the home (cafeteria, other public areas)
If there is any wrong doing, the staff may initially attempt to prevent the investigator from visiting but a good investigator knows how to gain information in a professional manner.
How Do I Find a Qualified Investigator
There are a lot of private investigators out there. Here are a few things you should consider when hiring someone to help you out with investigating the nursing home for your family.
- Licensed – Choose an investigator that is licensed.
- Reviews – A good investigator has testimonials; usually they are on their website.
- Variety – Look for an investigator with a variety of skills and investigation techniques as well as a variety of clients.
- Technology – Although you may not realize this important, a good investigator must have excellent technology skills to do their job. If he or she finds that there is neglect or abuse where your family member lives, there will be a need to gather more information and possibly work with an attorney and/or law enforcement.
- Court admissible evidence – A good investigator understands that what he or she collects may need to go before the court at some point.
- Fees & Expectations – Choose someone who explains their process clearly. You should understand what you will pay and how the process works.
Remember, the investigator is YOUR advocate; a person to help you protect your parents or loved ones. If you feel you may need an investigator, we recommend using Eagle Investigative Services. Eagle Investigative Services are licensed and have a wide array of clients. You can contact them directly at: Eagle Atlanta.
If someone you love is in a nursing home or other facility you are concerned about, contact us. Attorney David Crawford has the experience and knows exactly where to start. If the initial facts warrants further legal investigation, David and his team will gather information about the patient’s history so that he has a complete understanding of how, and when, this occurred. He will work with you and others to develop a detailed time line to understand what happened to your loved one, any warning signs that were ignored by the nursing home staff and what could have been done to avoid the problem. In essence, David will show you the negligent acts and omissions that may have occurred and help you understand the case prior to filing any lawsuit.
