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Almost everyone has received a traffic offense ticket. The consequences of traffic infractions include fines, traffic school, higher insurance rates, and points being assessed against your driving record.
A traffic citation is a criminal offense in the State of Nevada. Most traffic offenses are misdemeanors, while severe offenses can be charged as felonies. As with all misdemeanors, these offenses carry a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1000.
While technically allowed under Nevada law, jail time for misdemeanor traffic offenses is usually not imposed.
The traffic citation will list the charges against you, the court, and the date of your court appearance. It is at that appearance, where Your Defenders at Law can resolve your traffic matters. If you prefer, Your Defenders at Law can set your traffic hearing for a special attorney’s session on an earlier date.
However, if you fail to appear to court on this date or fail to hire an attorney to appear for you, the court will issue a bench warrant. A bench warrant can lead to your arrest and will cause additional emotional and financial stress. The court can levy a fine for having to have issued the bench warrant. If a bench warrant is issued against you, it is important to contact an attorney to remove the warrant and get your case back on track.
Luckily for people facing small traffic offenses such as speeding or illegal lane change, these charges can usually be resolved without traffic school and no demerit points on your driving record. Additionally, with the help of an attorney, these violations can usually be reduced down to non-moving violations or illegal parking. Such matters can even be resolved without you ever walking into a courtroom.
For people with more serious traffic violations, such as misdemeanor reckless driving, our attorneys can often resolve these matters without you needing to be present in court. Additionally, our attorneys can secure a favorable resolution of your traffic offense.
Some driving offenses are felonies and are treated differently by the court. For instance, if a person causes death or substantial bodily injury while in the act of committing reckless driving, this will be charged as a Category B felony and carries a penalty of 1 to 6 years in prison with a fine between $2000 and $5000.
As with all criminal charges, you have the right to take your traffic citation to trial. Normally, a traffic trial will be in front of a judge without a jury. The judge determines whether you are guilty or not guilty. At trial, you will be allowed to present witnesses, evidence, and to confront the prosecutor’s witnesses including the officer who made the traffic stop. If the officer fails to appear on the date set for trial, this will often lead to the citation being dismissed. However, even if the officer is present, you can still present evidence in your defense at trial. Common evidence used to support your case is eyewitness testimony or dash-cam video showing that you did not violate the traffic laws.
Paying a traffic fine before appearing in court is essentially pleading guilty to the charge. As such, demerit points will attach to your driving record. It is advisable to negotiate with the prosecutors first. An overwhelming majority of the time, Your Defenders at Law can resolve traffic offenses in a manner that is far superior to simply pleading guilty to the offense. For instance, many offenses can be reduced to an illegal parking violation instead of a moving violation, fees can be reduced, demerit points eliminated, and traffic school avoided.
Best of all, we can handle the tickets without you ever having to set foot in a courtroom. Provide us the citation and we will handle the rest!
Whether you want to take your traffic offense to trial or seek a quick resolution, Your Defender at Law is the right choice. Call today to get the help you need.