Minor traffic violations are cases that you might consider self representation. You will likely find that the cost of an attorney is not worth defending a $150 traffic ticket. In most cases, you have the option of just paying the ticket and forgetting about it, but there are ramifications to traffic violations beyond the fine including increased insurance rates and potential license suspensions for repeat offenders. Those additional costs can be even greater for commercial drivers.
You can do a web search and find an array of materials advertising how to beat your traffic ticket. Before you shell out your cash for these magic wands, you should be highly skeptical of their claims. Of course, you can take your case to trial and win under the right circumstances, but there is no magic wand to make your ticket go away. Usually, these materials are not specific to Ohio law and therefore not everything in there will apply to your case. Also, if you delve further, you will find claims like there is a good chance your citing officer won’t show up for trial and you’ll win automatically. In truth, going to court is part of an officer’s job. Often, courts will schedule all the cases that a particular officer has to appear at the same time so he or she doesn’t have to make numerous court appearances. I’m sure it worked for somebody, but taking your case to trial and hoping for the off chance that your citing officer doesn’t appear is hardly what I’d call a great strategy for success. A better strategy is one that doesn’t rely entirely on luck.
In most cases, beating your ticket means getting the charge reduced to something that you can live with. Yes, your violation was probably nothing more than a harmless error and I understand you’re upset because municipalities use traffic violations to add funds to their budget. For now, it’s time to put these feelings aside and consider your best options. So how do you proceed? More to come in future posts.
Nolo’s traffic book is a good read for one who wants to challenge their ticket. Of course, you will have to research state specific rules and how your court operates, but I think you will find the information helpful.
