10 Tips To Beating a Ticket in GA
Georgia is tough on drivers. If you are stopped for any type of offense, there are things you can do to mitigate your chances of getting a ticket or being arrested or both. Here is a list of things you can do to help if you get pulled over.
- Don’t be a jerk to the police officer. Show your driver’s license and other paperwork without giving the officer a hassle. He’s more likely to give you a warning.
- Request a Court Date. On your ticket, you can pay or you can choose to go to court. While you may be tempted to simply choose to pay, that is a guilty plea. Do not do this.
- Consider Your Driving Record. If you have a clean driving record, you are more likely to succeed.
- If you get the ticket and go to court, be sure to get to Court ON TIME. This is critical. You want to be there and be ready when your case is called the first time.
- Silence Your Cell Phone. Another practical, common sense thing but everyone seems to forget this one. It bears repeating. Silence it, or turn it off if you need to do so.
- Guilty or Not Guilty – When the judge asks which way you plead, he isn’t looking for a story. He doesn’t want any excuses. He needs only the answer to that question so he knows if he needs to sentence you immediately (fines, etc) or whether to have your case heard.
- Is the Witness There? Often the police officer is the only witness against you. If he is not there, you have a much better chance of the case being dismissed. However, do not ask this when the judge asks whether you plead guilty or not guilty. This is likely to annoy the judge or alert someone to go find the officer. This is one of the big reasons that having a lawyer with you matters. He can find out about the police officer quickly and do it where it’s less likely to cause an issue.
- Does the cop remember you? Back in the first point, I suggested not being a jerk to the officer. Not only does this help overall but here is where it really plays out. If you were just an average person, another ticket on the street, he is likely to have forgotten you, which plays in your favor. Another reason to have a lawyer at this point is that he will know exactly how to determine this by asking the right questions.
- Can a Motion Be Made for Dismissal? Sometimes there are issues with the ticket itself, or even the process. An experienced traffic lawyer can point these out.
- Don’t Wait to Get a Lawyer. Having a lawyer on your side is money well spent when protecting your driving record. If you feel you want to fight the ticket but aren’t sure about any part of the process, seek out an experienced lawyer who can give you a free review.
David can review your ticket and help you determine if you have a valid case. The important thing to remember is that you don’t want to pay for the ticket until you have had the ticket reviewed. It may be in your best interest to simply pay but it also could lead to bigger problems now, or down the road. Know your options. You can upload your citation for a review at
legalpatriot.com 
Large trucks cause a number of auto accidents on the highways and roads in Georgia. Because of the increased potential of harm, or even death that can result from these accidents, Georgia holds CDL drivers to much higher standards than someone with a regular driving license. While one or two traffic violations may be minor when driving your regular automobile, that’s not the case with a CDL violation. There are some cases where only one or two GA Commercial Driver’s License Violations can result in the loss of a license, either temporarily or permanently. Having violations on your GA CDL license can also mean the loss of a job or the inability to get a job driving.
Major Traffic Violations
Under Georgia CDL law, a major violation results in a one-year suspension of your CDL on the first offense and a permanent commercial driver’s license disqualification on the second offense. Major violations include:
- Alcohol or drug-related violations such as a DUI
- Refusing a field sobriety test/alcohol blood testing
- Leaving the scene of an accident involving a CMV(commercial motor vehicle)
- Committing a felony with a vehicle
- Driving with a suspended or revoked CDL
- Fatality caused by negligent driving
Serious Traffic Violations
Receiving two serious traffic violations while driving a commercial vehicle within three years can result in a 60 day suspension, and a third within 3 years results in a 120 day suspension. Serious traffic violations include:
- Speeding greater than 15 MPH over the posted limit
- Improper lane changes
- Reckless driving
- Following too closely
- Driving violation leading to a fatality
- Not having a valid CDL for the specific type of vehicle being driven
If you have a CDL and receive a ticket in Georgia don’t wait to contact an experienced lawyer. Waiting can mean fines, fees and/or a loss of your CDL driving privileges. If you receive a violation on one of the following, you can upload your citation on our website for a review.
- Speeding(15 mph or more above the posted limit)
- Georgia Super Speeder Violations
- Following Too Closely
- Reckless or Careless Driving
- Auto insurance violations
- Wrong Lane or improper lane changes
- Load weight violations
- Failure to obey traffic control devices
- Failure to stop
- Equipment violations
- Off Truck Route
- Operating a commercial vehicle without proof of holding a valid CDL
- Driving a rig without the proper endorsement
Many of these violations can be lowered so that you do not lose your driving ability. Contact David today to discuss your situation or upload your citation on our website for a free case review.
Is Fighting A CDL Ticket Advisable?
Hiring a traffic attorney to fight for you in against a CDL driving offense in GA is definitely worth the money. To be employed as a CDL driver, most employers will require that you have a clean driving record. Having any type of record for driving violations, especially those while employed as a CDL driver can harm your chances at securing a good job or even being promoted where you current work.
When you contact David Crawford, he understands that you only have one driving record. He understands the importance of working to reduce your violation and any points that may be associated with that ticket. He works to reduce fines and fees for speeding, violations of the move over law, improper lane changes, or even load violations. He can also assist you if you have been cited or arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Georgia’s court system is tough on commercial drivers. Having an attorney work for you can help with your options. Because of how quickly the violations on a driving record can affect you, fighting a CDL ticket is advisable. You can contact David and upload your citation here by visiting our home page.
Georgia has some interesting traffic laws and while you do not need to know everything about them, you should know what happens if you do not pay your ticket in Georgia. Failure to pay your citation will likely get your driving privileges suspended. The Georgia Department of Drivers Services (DDS) will mail you a letter of suspension. However, that does not need to happen. There are ways to work within the system to keep your driving record intact.
First Things First
In Georgia, most traffic citations are criminal misdemeanors. You are issued a ticket with a court date. You can pay your ticket before the court date or you can go to court. Many jurisdictions now allow you to pay online. Before you pay, you should understand your rights. When you pay your ticket, you are admitting guilt for the action. Some citations are more complex than others. For example, Georgia has a Super Speeder Law. This law tacks on an extra $200 fine to any driver who is convicted of driving over 75mph on two lane highways. That means, that when you receive that ticket for speeding, you want to check to be sure it does NOT fall into the category of a “super speeder” before you pay it.
Should I Hire an Attorney
We often answer the question of “should I hire an attorney for a traffic ticket“. While you need to make that ultimate decision, we will say that it can be money well spent in many cases. Our office does a citation review. You can upload your ticket online and our attorney will review the ticket to determine if you could benefit from legal counsel. Sometimes it’s just better to pay the citation and move on. Sometimes, it’s better to let an experienced attorney fight for you. You can also learn more about that in this article.
However, a failure to pay, show up in court or let an attorney handle it will likely result in the suspension of your license. For cases that require a court appearance, such as driving under the influence (DUI), the court may also issue a bench warrant for your arrest for failure to show. Going through steps to have your license restored is difficult and painful. It’s unnecessary if you can avoid it up front.
Contact Us
If you, or a family member, needs assistance with a citation, you can call us, upload a copy of the citation for review or contact us on our chat or contact form. David has over 20 years experience working with traffic cases and knows how the courts and laws work. Let his experience work in your favor. Visit us here to learn more.
If you have read the news over the last few days, you may have seen that a metro Atlanta pastor was arrested when a visit to his home uncovered 8 people locked in a basement area. It’s not very often that this type of situation makes front page news. This story is egregious on many levels. Each of the 8 people were either mentally or physically disabled and unable to care for themselves. Some of them were elderly. The pastor and his wife had allegedly deadbolted these people into a room and were taking care of their finances, medicines and more. According to the police department spokesperson, “the couple was in control of the disabled individuals’ finances, medications and benefits and the individuals had been denied medical care in some instances.”
It wasn’t made clear how these individuals came to be in the pastor and his wife’s care or in their home. Information has yet to come to light about whether any of them were missing from their loved ones. Either way, this article brings up several points and we wanted to take the time to point them out.
Elderly Are Vulnerable
Our elderly friends and loved ones are often the first ones who become victims to scams. They do not want to ask for help and want to maintain their independence. It is up to family members and friends to follow up regularly to ensure that they have adequate care on all levels. Here are a few things to consider:
- Are they taking their medicines as they should?
- Do they need help with daily tasks?
- Is someone taking them to the doctor and keeping their appointments if that is necessary?
Situations like the above should NEVER happen. We have several articles on ways to recognize elder abuse, including malnutrition, bedsores, negligence and more.
Check out the following articles:
Why You Should Check For Nursing Home Abuse
Understanding and Recognizing Elder Abuse
Medication Errors and the Elderly
Contact Us
If you, or a loved one, needs the help or advice of an experienced legal advocate on issues related to elder abuse, elder negligence, bedsores or more, contact our office. David Crawford has years of experience working with families in these situations.
Although the question in the title of this article can have a double meaning, the intent is pretty clear. Someone has received a traffic citation and wants to know if it’s worth it to hire a lawyer to represent him/her for that citation. And at any rate, the answer to both meanings of would be: YES. Traffic lawyers really work.
Traffic violations in Georgia are criminal offenses. If you are a visitor or new to Georgia, you should know that traffic citations are misdemeanors. The laws can be complex and winning in court without a traffic attorney is not common. Learn more about Georgia’s traffic laws here.
Traffic lawyers really work because they are well versed in the Georgia law. They also know the court system. They understand which courts will allow lesser charges and which ones should be fought. More importantly, they know when you should fight and when you should settle it out and pay the fine. But even if you have to pay the fine, a skilled traffic lawyer often has the knowledge to reduce that amount or to limit the impact the ticket may have on your driving record.
If you have received a citation, you can contact us for a free review of that citation by uploading it. Our office will review at no cost to you.
