Ocean City Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Although it may seem like a minor offense and will typically not carry any jail time in Maryland, a speeding ticket can still have a big impact on your life. From points against your license to the increased financial burden of both the ticket itself and increased insurance rates, it is often in your best interest to contest your ticket instead of simply accepting the consequences that are being handed down. With this in mind, an Ocean City speeding ticket lawyer can assist you by looking at the various defenses applicable to your case and helping you put forth the strongest possible argument in court. Being pulled over for speeding in Ocean City can be for as little as five miles per hour over the stated limit. Therefore, it is important to speak with a lawyer who can help you understand the ramifications of the charges.

To learn more about the steps involved in fighting a speeding ticket or how experienced legal representation can benefit your case, schedule a consultation with an experienced lawyer in Ocean City today.

Speeding Penalties

In speeding cases the specific penalties depend on a number of different circumstances including how the fast the individual issued the ticket was going. For the lowest level of speeding, which is exceeding the speed limit by one to nine miles per hour, the fine is $80 and one point issued against your license. However, for the highest level of speeding, which is exceeding the limit by 40 miles per hour or more, a speeding ticket can carry a fine of up to $530 and five points against a persons license.

Generally speaking, exceeding the speed limit by around ten miles per hour is the most common type of speeding seen in Ocean City.

Options if You Have Received a Speeding Ticket

If you have already received a ticket for speeding in Ocean City or elsewhere in Maryland, the law requires that you take some sort of action. In the past, someone could simply ignore the ticket or wait to see if they got a trial date before paying. Now, the laws have changed and there are three options that you can take:

Option 1: Pay the Ticket

The first and most obvious option is simply paying the full amount of the ticket within the thirty day deadline. To do this the recipient of the ticket only needs to mail the ticket with a check or credit card information to the District Court of Maryland. However, while this may be the easiest option it is not recommended that anyone do this, as it means you are admitting guilt and accepting the fines and penalties that come your way. A better alternative to paying the fine is to contact an Ocean City speeding ticket lawyer and discuss the other options that are at your disposal.

Option 2: Disposition Docket

The second option is the driver can request to be placed on the disposition docket.  When this is done, you are simply asking for a hearing and are admitting guilt. By doing so, the person admits that they committed the violation, but they want to have an opportunity to explain to the judge the circumstances. They want to be able to tell the judge about their driving record or an exceptional circumstance that occurred that resulted in the driver speeding. It certainly is not a defense, but it can help mitigate what the judge is going to do in many cases.

Option 3: Request a Trial

The third option to discuss with your speeding ticket lawyer in Ocean City is to request a trial. Taking this action means that you intend to plead not guilty and the officer who wrote the ticket must therefore be subpoenaed to appear in court.

Failing to Take Action

No matter which option the driver and their Ocean City speeding ticket attorney choose, some action must be taken. If the recipient of the ticket fails to do so, their privilege to drive can be suspended, which could lead to a completely separate issue such as driving on a suspended license, which results in jail time. The driver, by their inaction, took a ticket that just involved a fine and turned it into the possibility of going to jail and having much higher number of points assessed to their driving records.

Contacting a Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Before deciding which course of action is best suited for your situation, it is important you schedule a consultation with a  speeding ticket attorney in Ocean City to discuss the various possibilities and how they can impact your driving record. An attorney will also be able to look at the facts surrounding your stop and ensure that all the facts are taken into account.