Dorchester Traffic Lawyer
A Dorchester traffic lawyer helps you respond if you are ticketed or charged with a traffic crime. Even a simple speeding ticket or other moving violation could result in large fines, lead to the loss of your driver’s license, and leave you with a driving record that disqualifies you from certain job opportunities. You owe it to yourself to get help responding to a citation or a criminal charge so you can try to minimize or avoid consequences of conviction. Call a traffic lawyer in Maryland today.
How a Dorchester Traffic Lawyer Can Help
When you get a traffic ticket or are charged with a traffic crime, a traffic lawyer in Dorchester can help you determine the potential consequences. For example, most offenses result in a fine and demerit points on your license. Insurance rates can rise with demerit points, and too many points can lead to a license suspension. For some traffic offenses, like reckless driving or DUI, you face more pressing legal problems because these offenses could mean jail time and a criminal record.
Based on the accusations against you and the available evidence, your attorney can help you to decide what your next steps are. You could plead not guilty and try to avoid conviction; you could try to negotiate a plea agreement or take steps to minimize penalties; or you could simply pay the traffic fine and move on. Paying the fine is an admission of guilt, which means it triggers all the undesirable consequences of the ticket- you shouldn’t do this before you talk to a lawyer about whether you have better options.
Dorchester Traffic Laws
The Maryland Transportation Code establishes all of the rules that Maryland drivers are expected to know. Drivers who are on the streets of Maryland are required by Code Section 21-102 to obey all traffic laws, and pedestrians are also obliged to obey the rules of the road according to Code Section 21-501.
The consequences of a failure to obey the traffic code varies depending upon the nature of the offense. Serious violations can lead to hundreds of dollars in fines, as well as demerit points. The Maryland Court website provides a summary of fines and points for each traffic offense. The consequences of points depends upon how many total you receive. For example:
- 3-4 points triggers a warning letter from the Motor Vehicle Association.
- 5-7 points necessitates enrollment in a Driver Improvement Program
- 8-11 points triggers a notice of suspension of your license.
- 12 points or more triggers a notice of revocation.
If you receive a notice your license has been suspended, you can accept the suspension or request a hearing. A Dorchester traffic lawyer can help you to request a hearing and show cause for why you should not have your right to drive taken away from you.
Call a Dorchester Traffic Attorney Now
Getting a traffic ticket is no minor matter when your license could possibly be at stake. Before you decide how to respond to a citation or a criminal charge, contact a Dorchester traffic lawyer to get the legal advice you need to make informed choices about how best to protect yourself.