Speeding tickets can cause massive headaches for drivers. They can suspend driver's licenses, increase insurance rates, and can cost a lot of money. Speeding tickets come in all different shapes and sizes. Do not just pay your speeding ticket, contact a DuPage County speeding ticket lawyer at The Traffic Defense Firm.
Petty speeding is speeding less than 26 mph over the limit. When a driver has been issued a speeding ticket, the driver may feel that just paying the speeding ticket is easy and convenient and will result in no consequences. However, that is not true. Speeding tickets are moving violations pursuant to Illinois law. Speeding ticket violations count as points towards your driver's license. If you are over 21 years old, three moving violations (which includes speeding) in 12 months will result in a driver's license suspension. If you are under 21 years old, two moving violations in a 24-month span will result in a driver's license suspension. The Illinois Secretary of State will add the points accumulated on your license to determine the suspension length. Click here to view the points system towards your driver's license based on the moving violation conviction acquired.
A conviction for speeding 1-10 mph over will result in 5 points towards your driver's license. A conviction for speeding 11-14 mph over the limit will result in 15 points towards your driver's license. A conviction for speeding 15-25 mph over the limit will result in 20 points towards your driver's license. As an adult, getting two moving convictions in 12 months and accumulating:
15-44 points will result in a 2-month suspension of your driver's license.
45-74 points will result in a 3-month suspension.
75-89 points will result in a 6-month suspension.
90 to 99 points will result in a 9-month suspension.
100 to 109 points will result in a 12-month suspension.
110 points or more will lead to a revocation of your driver's license.
When you are under 21 years old, the following points system applies:
10 to 34 points will result in a 1-month suspension.
35 to 49 points will result in a 3-month suspension.
50 to 64 points will result in a 6-month suspension.
65 to 79 points will result in a 12-month suspension.
80 points or more will lead to a revocation of your driver's license.
Therefore, just paying off a speeding ticket will result in an admission of guilt and accumulating points towards your driver's license suspension. Click here to learn more about the consequences of paying your speeding ticket. In addition, speeding ticket convictions can lead to increased car insurance rates. Insurance companies review the policy holder's driving record during the year to determine any increases to the premium or insurance cancellations. Certainly, speeding ticket convictions will show up for insurance companies to view when making these determinations. So, remember to think twice before paying your speeding traffic ticket over the mail.
Petty speeding tickets are fines only offenses. That means that there is no jail time involved for petty speeding tickets. If entering into court supervision for your speeding ticket, expect to pay a fine anywhere between $250-$350. It is all dependent on the County where you have received your speeding ticket. Additionally, depending on your driving record or age, the prosecutor may want you to take traffic safety school as part of the court supervision disposition.
After all, you may not have been speeding. Or you may have been speeding but not over what the speeding ticket accuses you of going. An experienced DuPage County Speeding Ticket Lawyer at our firm will get your ticket dismissed if you were not actually speeding over the limit the ticket alleges you of going. If a ticket states you were speeding 21-25 mph over the limit but you have evidence indicating you were speeding only 10 over, then this is important information that should be presented to the prosecutor and the judge and can get your ticket ultimately dismissed.
One way of getting your speeding ticket dismissed is by the police officer, state trooper or the sheriff not appearing in Court to testify. Usually with speeding ticket charges, the only witness to the actual speeding offense is the officer itself. If the officer does not appear in Court, then the prosecutor will not have any witnesses to prove its case and the ticket will be dismissed. The date the officer would need to appear for certain Counties is the actual trial date. The officer does not need to appear in Court every time the ticket is in court, nor would your ticket be dismissed because the officer did not appear for a non-trial date. Whether setting the speeding ticket charge to trial is a discussion that needs to occur with your attorney. Setting the speeding ticket matter to trial can revoke any court supervision offer by the prosecutor. Further, if you proceed to trial and the officer does appear and the trial is lost then the judge can sentence you to a conviction and not court supervision.
The evidence against a driver who is speeding is typically the officer's observations or speeding marked by the officer's radar. If speed was detected by radar, the prosecutor typically will ask the officer during trial whether the radar was calibrated and working properly. If it was not calibrated or working properly, then an experienced defense attorney will be able to poke holes at the prosecution's speeding ticket case which can result in a dismissal. It is very important to obtain certain documents or information pertaining to the functionality of the radar during the case if the case may be that the radar was not calibrated or working properly. Cross examination of the police officer will be important during trial if there are issues with the radar or the officer's observations.
There may be other defenses to your speeding ticket charge and each speeding ticket is different. Contact us to discuss any possible defenses that you may have to your speeding ticket.
Generally, you do not need to appear in Court for petty speeding tickets unless you received another moving violation with the speeding ticket. Also, drivers that are under 21 years old that receive a petty speeding ticket will have to appear in Court. If a court appearance is required, it will be indicated on the bottom of the ticket. A date will also be indicated and determined by the officer. The courthouse that hears these petty speeding tickets will be in the Circuit Court of the County and in an assigned traffic courtroom. If a mandatory court appearance is required and you do not appear, then an ex parte conviction will be entered against you for the tickets. That means the judge will render a conviction on all of the tickets in your absence. Fines will be assessed, and your driver's license status can be at stake. If this occurs, you will have 30 days to undo that whole process. Sometimes, speeding tickets can be resolved without you ever having to appear in court through a lawyer. If you have to appear in court or you missed court, contact us so an experienced DuPage County speeding ticket attorney can represent you on your speeding ticket so you can obtain the best result possible.
You may be eligible four Court Supervision for your speeding ticket. Whether or not you are eligible will be dependent on several factors. Some factors include your driving record, whether you are currently on court supervision, how many times you have obtained court supervision in the past 12 months, age, and the facts surrounding the ticket. If you go with The Traffic Defense Firm, you will be provided a DuPage County Speeding Ticket lawyer that will zealously represent you and work hard to obtain the court supervision that you desire.
If you are already under court supervision, you may have several questions arising. Two may be whether you can get court supervision again and the other may be what happens to the ticket that you originally did get the supervision for? The answer is you could get court supervision again and it depends as to what happens to the ticket you are already placed under supervision for. The prosecutor could file a Petition to Revoke on your initial speeding ticket that you originally received the supervision for (old ticket) based on the new speeding ticket that you have received. However, this is rare. A Petition to Revoke means that the prosecutor is petitioning the Court to revoke the court supervision on the old ticket due to you committing a new speeding offense. If the prosecutor proves the allegations on the Petition such as you committed a new offense, then the judge may revoke the supervision and sentence you to a conviction on the old ticket. The prosecutor can, and probably will, also seek a conviction on the second (new ticket) and you may be left with two speeding convictions. That is why it is important to contact an experienced DuPage County Traffic Attorney such as us to represent you on any Petitions to Revoke or any new speeding tickets that you have been issued while already on court supervision for another speeding ticket.
It is possible for you to have your speeding ticket amended to a non-moving violation. Amending means changing the nature of the actual ticket received to another ticket. You would typically advocate for amendments if the ticket was being amended to an offense that is less severe in consequences than the one actually received. This course of remedy is very valuable to CDL holders as moving violations can be very damaging for them. With the right mitigation package, good driving record and other important facts, it is possible to keep a speeding ticket away from your driving record and have it amended down to a non-moving violation. Of course, prosecutors will be more willing to amend a 1-10 mph over the limit ticket than a 25 mph over the limit ticket. It is only the prosecutor that can amend the ticket, so it will be the prosecutor that will need to be contacted and presented with favorable facts for a possible nonmoving violation amendment. An example of a non-moving violation is a "defective windshield" ticket. That means that if your ticket gets amended to a non-moving violation, then the general public will only see the charge as a "defective windshield" ticket conviction and not as the initial moving violation that you received (such as speeding).
Contact our firm to be represented by a skilled and experienced DuPage County Speeding Ticket Lawyer. Whether you want to fight your speeding ticket, get court supervision or an amendment, we are here to help. The Traffic Defense Firm is a highly skilled traffic ticket lawyer and will ensure that you receive the best possible outcome for your speeding ticket.
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