Ocean City Traffic Infractions
Maryland has an entire book of laws related to traffic laws called the Transportation Articles of the Annotated Code of Maryland, any violation of these articles is called a traffic infraction and can carry anywhere from a fine to a short amount of jail time. As a result, despite the fact that these charges may seem minor, it is important you consult with an Ocean City traffic lawyer to ensure that your offense doesn’t come back to hurt you or your license later on.
Examples of Traffic Infractions
One example of a traffic infraction in Maryland is speeding. Speeding does not carry any jail sentence in Maryland but can carry a significant fine depending on the speed at which you were traveling.
In addition to speeding, there are several moving violations that don’t incur any jail time but do carry a penalty of a fine and points. For example:
- Making an improper turn at an intersection,
- Making an illegal turn,
- Or failing to use turn signals are non-incarcerable traffic offenses.
Difference Between An Infraction and a Misdemeanor
The difference between a traffic infraction and a misdemeanor is the potential penalty. A non-incarcerable traffic offense is different from a traffic misdemeanor because it is a traffic infraction or a non-incarcerable traffic infraction and doesn’t carry any jail time. Other sections of the code of the Transportation Article are defined as misdemeanors. A misdemeanor means that it carries a potential maximum penalty that involves jail time. For example, there are a significant number of the portions of the Transportation Article that carry a maximum jail time of 60 days and/or a $500 fine.
Where Infraction Cases Are Heard
The majority of traffic infraction cases are heard at the District Court building located in Ocean City on 65th Street. This is where the majority of these kinds of tickets are heard. If the penalty the driver faces is jail time and if the driver faces more than 90 days incarceration, the driver has the right to request a jury trial, which would be held at the Circuit Court for Worcester County All of these non-incarcerable traffic violations are heard at the District Court building in Ocean City.
Appealing Traffic Convictions
If the driver does not like the outcome of the case, the driver has the right to appeal to the Circuit Court. That means the case is heard in Snow Hill in Worcester County, the county seat.
In Maryland, the appeal would be De Novo, which is like getting a brand new trial. The defendant proceeds with the trial again. The state has to prove the conviction or has to prove the case against the defendant.
Often, when people appeal a traffic ticket, they really want a lesser sentence. They may not necessarily want a brand new trial, they want a different judge to look at the sentence and consider modifying it.
Penalties For Traffic Infractions
Penalties include a fine that can be anywhere from $50 and higher. Some of the highest fines are in speeding cases where the driver is going in excess of 30 miles/hour over the posted speed limit. In this case, the fine is about $290.
Regarding traffic infractions, when they are moving violations, there is a point system and the infraction is assigned a certain number of points. If the driver violates the traffic code, whatever that violation is, those points are assessed to their Maryland Driving Record.
For example, if the driver was going 25 miles/hour over the posted speed limit, two points are assessed. If the driver is going faster than that, it is possible that five points could be assessed. Penalties for traffic infractions include fines and also the assessment of points.