If you are fighting a traffic ticket in court, you may be wondering what to say in traffic court. You definately want to be prepared rather than walking in and winging it. This is one of those times when having a solid plan will come to your advantage. So, how do you prepare for your day and know what to say in traffic court when your day comes around?
First, take a moment to read our article on Do I Need a Lawyer for a Traffic Ticket.
Having an understanding of your ticket and the legal consequences of how you respond to that ticket will help you decide if you need an attorney or if you can do this yourself. While we do not advocate that you represent yourself, we realize that you may wish to do that.
- First things first. Whether you are going to be in physical court or on a video session, present yourself appropriately. Wear a business type of shirt such as one with a collar.
- Speak respectfully. Address the judge as “Your Honor” or “Judge”.
- Use full sentences to speak. Do not use slang like “bruh, dude, yo, wattsup, i hear ya, yup, nah” or any other words you may use with someone you usually communicate with regularly. This is a judge. It’s not your friend and this person is to be treated in his or her position with respect. You want him or her to help you, so the last thing you want to do is to offend by saying the wrong thing.
- Speak only when asked to speak
- Answer the question and only the question. This is a big one and it’s the one that gets most clients in trouble.
- Detail what happened and why your situation is an exception. I.e, You aren’t Guilty and why.
- Consider how you explain why you aren’t guilty before you go in there. Was it the weather? Going less than 5 mph over the speed limit? Is your driving record perfect and this is your first traffic stop?
Here are some other helpful articles
Things to Know About Georgia Law
Georgia’s Tricky Super Speeder Law
If you find yourself in this situation and would like our assistance, contact us. You can upload your citation directly to our site for review! David has over 20 years of experience working with clients and traffic laws in Georgia.
