Baltimore City Speeding Lawyer
If you receive a speeding ticket, you may not immediately call a Baltimore City speeding lawyer for assistance. The long-term consequences of even a single speeding ticket could have a large impact on your finances and in some cases, your ability to drive. Getting legal advice before you decide how to handle a speeding ticket may be important.
Most types of traffic tickets adversely affect not your driving history and your wallet in the form of increased motor vehicle insurance rates and fines. In this situation, contacting a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney may be beneficial before taking any further action on your own.
Speeding Tickets in Baltimore City
Md. Code § 21-801.1 establishes speed limits on various roads; exceeding those limits may result in the issuance of a speeding ticket. When individuals receive speeding tickets, they could admit guilt and pay the fine prior to the court date, or they could appear in court to challenge the ticket. Before making this decision, persons should be aware of all their options and the potential repercussions of each option.
Above all, individuals should know that failing to pay the ticket or appear in court may result in a license suspension. A speeding lawyer in Baltimore City may advise that simply ignoring a traffic ticket is likely to have disastrous results.
Paying the Ticket
If persons opt to pay a speeding ticket prior to the court date, they admit to speeding and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) will assess points to their license. The number of points that the MVA will assess depends on how fast they were traveling at the time of the offense:
- Exceeding the speed limit by one to nine mph – one point
- Exceeding the speed limit by ten to 29 mph – two points
- Exceeding the speed limit by 30 mph or more – five points
- Exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph or more when the posted speed limit is 65 mph – five points
If speeding results in an accident, then a one-point speeding violation becomes a three-point violation.
Fighting the Ticket
For those who choose to fight their tickets, they must appear in court as ordered. The court hearing will permit the individuals to tell their side of the story and request a dismissal of the ticket. Officers who issue tickets also must appear in court to tell their side of the story.
The judge could either dismiss the case or the tickets may stand as the officers issued them. If the judge rules that the ticket is legally valid, then individuals will have to pay the fine and the MVA will assess points to their licenses. A Baltimore City attorney may be able to represent the interests of drivers who wish to challenge their speeding tickets in court.
Assessment of Points on Licenses
With the speeding tickets, any other traffic violation could result in the assessment of points on the licenses of the drivers who have committed the violations. Other driving-related criminal offenses also add points to licenses. This could include a DUI. If individuals accrue too many points within a certain time period, then the MVA may suspend their licenses.
There are even some driving offenses that could add points to a license if they occur in another state. A DUI conviction in a neighboring state will add points to a license, just as if the driver had been convicted of DUI in Maryland.
Work with a Baltimore City Speeding Attorney
Even a single speeding ticket may cost you dearly, in the form of vast increases in insurance rates and high fines. When you have accumulated multiple tickets, you risk losing your ability to drive. If you are in this situation, working with a Baltimore City speeding lawyer may help.
If your goal is to maintain a clean driving history, minimize your insurance costs, and safeguard your driving privileges, you may want to get legal advice. Take the necessary steps to educate yourself about all of the potential options and their consequences before making any decisions in your case.