Amending Charges for Traffic Citations

At York Gaskill, LLC, we frequently are retained to represent clients in resolving traffic tickets. Sometimes, traffic tickets can be difficult to defend at trial. This may be true for several reasons. Sometimes the client may not believe they have committed a traffic violation and did not deserve to receive the citation but may have technically violated a driving statute. There is also the practical consideration that the police officer who issued the citation may frequently appear in front of the same Judge on the citations that they issue. Being well known to the Judge deciding these cases may result in the officer being given the benefit of the doubt.

However, in defending traffic citations, there will be an opportunity to resolve the case without a trial. Defense counsel will be able to speak with the prosecuting solicitor and discuss a resolution of the citation. Solicitors are usually reasonable in their approach to resolving traffic citations. They understand that routine traffic citations are not overly serious, and even the safest drivers may occasionally make a mistake while driving. They also have many cases that they must handle and are often motivated by the practical consideration that they must resolve cases. More often than not, they do not have time to physically try every citation that comes through their court.

The defendant’s driving history is a strong factor in determining how much leniency a solicitor will afford a defendant. A person with a clean driving history will generally be given more leniency than a person who already has several traffic offenses on his or her driving history. Age can also play a factor. A sixty-year-old who has never received a traffic citation may receive more consideration than a sixteen-year-old that is excessively speeding a week after getting her license. The driver’s willingness to take a driver’s education course can also demonstrate good faith to the solicitor.

Often, one of the goals in negotiating with the solicitor is to have the charge amended to one that will not be reported as a matter of law and course on the defendant’s driving history. This has the obvious benefit that the insurance company may not discover the citation at renewal, which may keep insurance premiums from increasing. Sometimes, it is better to pay a small fine to resolve a citation by pleading to an amended charge that is non-reporting rather than risk a guilty verdict at trial. The experienced attorneys at York Gaskill can help you make that decision.

Your attorney's knowledge-base matters when it comes to fighting traffic citations. We are experienced traffic ticket lawyers in Duluth, GA. At York Gaskill, we have helped many individuals minimize the negative impact of traffic tickets they have received. If you have recently received a traffic citation, call our law firm in Gwinnett at 678.697.6789 or send us a message for a free consultation.