Annapolis Speeding Ticket Lawyer

The penalties for speeding in Annapolis can sometimes be incredibly serious. Depending on the severity of the charge, individuals may be assessed with hefty fines and multiple points on their driver’s license. Both speeding and reckless driving charges can produce an unwanted burden for the person accused, and have a negative impact on their driving record. That is why it is pertinent, if you have been affected by such a charge, to contact an experienced attorney immediately.

An Annapolis speeding ticket lawyer will be able to craft a defense based on the particular circumstances of your case, and fight to lessen any penalties you may be facing.

Types of Speeding Offenses

For a first offense, exceeding the speed limit may not include a fine of more than $500, and the person’s license may not be suspended for more than two years. A first offense reckless driving charge produces a fine of no more than $1,000, and a person’s license may not be suspended for more than two years. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor classified under the transportation article of Maryland law.
Some examples of reckless driving include driving on the shoulder, tailgating, and weaving in and out of traffic. It is common for the police officer writing the ticket to cite the charge as reckless driving. However, a person cannot be charged with reckless driving just for speeding. The officer must consider other factors as well, such as how fast over the speed limit the person was traveling, and how erratic the driving was.
Points are also assessed to a person’s driving record depending on how fast over the speed limit they were going. An Annapolis speeding ticket attorney can help assist an individual in understanding their charge, and any penalties associated with it.

Penalties

Different traffic citations incur different amounts of points on an individual’s driver’s license. These varying citations include:

• Speeding more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit: 2 points
• A reckless driving violation: 6 points
• Speeding more than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit: 5 points
• Participating in a race or speed contest on a highway: 5 points
• Exceeding the 65 mph posted speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour: 5 points

Severity of Speeding Offenses

Speeding offenses can be incredibly serious offenses, depending on how much over the posted speed limit the person is traveling. A speeding ticket conviction may cause a person’s insurance to increase substantially. Additionally, if someone accumulates enough speeding tickets, and points associated with each of the tickets on their driver’s record, their license may be suspended or revoked. .

Ticket Payment Process

For minor traffic violations, a person can pay the fine that is on the ticket without having to appear at one of the Maryland District Courts in front of a judge. In regards to their driving record, paying the ticket has the same consequences as pleading guilty, or being found guilty by a judge. This is because the person is admitting they violated the specific Maryland law.
The penalties associated with the violation are automatically assessed to the person’s driving record. However, if someone believes they are not guilty of the offense, the only way to challenge this ticket is to go to court.

Challenging the Ticket

Even if the person does not have a defense to the ticket, it is possible that the ticket could be dismissed if the officer and witnesses do not show up on the scheduled court date. If a person is guilty, but has an explanation they think may help mitigate the violation, they can go to court and explain their version of the events with the help of an Annapolis speeding ticket lawyer.
The judge may reduce the fine or amend the charge so that the individual gets fewer points, or have the points waived entirely. The person will also have the opportunity to be granted a probation before judgment so that they receive no points.
In regards to reckless driving, a person must appear at one of the Maryland District Courts. They do not have an option to pay the ticket online.

Proving a Speeding Charge

An officer will try to prove a person was speeding in Maryland by using one of three techniques: the pacing technique, radar, or LiDAR.

• • With the pacing technique, the officer must maintain a constant distance between the police vehicle and an individual’s car long enough to make a reasonably accurate estimate of its speed.
  • In regards to the radar technique, radio waves reflect off of a vehicle to determine its speed. Radar units generate the waves with a transmitter, and once the waves bounce off of the car, they are picked up and amplified by a receiver so that they can be analyzed. The officer is then able to read the analysis on a screen in the device.
  • Finally, the LiDAR technique uses a low power beam of laser light that bounces off the vehicle and returns to a receiver in the unit. The unit will electronically calculate the speed of the vehicle, which can be read by the officer on a screen in the unit.

All of these charges can be defended effectively with the assistance of an Annapolis speeding ticket attorney, who will build a strong defense based on the elements of an individual’s case.

Advantages of an Attorney

An experienced speeding ticket lawyer in Annapolis will best be able to understand the local driving laws in Maryland, and will use his or her knowledge to achieve the best outcome possible for your particular case. A lawyer may be able to use appropriate defenses to help waive any points or fines associated with their charge.