Do I Need To Get An Attorney For My Traffic Ticket? (california)?
Hi all,
I got a ticket for driving without a license (12500a) back in January of this year. It is a misdemeanor, I am aware of that, and the fines/possible jail time that the charge warrants. I’ve read some places that in most cases, with a good driving record, and no criminal history, if I show up with a valid license and all that good stuff, that the charge is usually either dropped down to an infraction, or dismissed all together. I’ve also been told that if the ticketing officer doesn’t show up in court, that it could be dismissed (and since it’s been almost a year now, i don’t know that he would) …
I called a traffic attorney, they advised me that I wouldn’t have to go to court, and they’d guarantee it would get dismissed, or absolute worst case, it’d get knocked down to an infraction. My main concern is I live about 10 hours from Los Angeles, where I have to be in court for. I work 6 days a week, and it’s just really going to be a pain in the *** to get down there for this (I understand I should have thought of this before letting my license expire) … The ticket attorney quoted me $1500 for their services, and said I don’t have to come to court.. They’d take care of it all… the $1500 will hurt pretty bad, I expected lower considering that here it’s $250.
I can take the time off to go down to LA for this, and hopefully resolve this on my own. Paying a fine is fine with me, I understand though this penalty can include jail time, though you hear all the time about people driving drunk, and doing all sorts of crazy stuff and not going to jail, considering all that, and the fact I have no criminal record, and a good driving history, other than letting my license expire, I find it hard to believe I’d do any time over this.
So, my question is… do I show in court and hope for the best, or pay these attorneys and hope they deliver on their promises?
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First, are you sure it was FILED as a misdemeanor? You should check the ticket in the court’s web site to see for sure. If it was filed as an infraction you can probably take care of it all online.
If it was filed as a misdemeanor, if you are presently licensed and insured, it would be very unusual for it not to be reduced to an infraction, and in many cases dismissed, so it does not take much expertise for a lawyer to do that. The benefit of a lawyer is that a lawyer can appear for you, which will save you the time and cost of transportation to L.A. and back.
Frankly, I think $1,500 for this sounds pretty high, and I would worry about an attorney who guarantees any result. If you decide to hire counsel, shop around for an attorney who specializes in traffic matters in L.A.
If it were me I would (have already) contact the court to see why the case has not been on the docket yet – 8 months is a long time !! You can also ask if the fine can just be paid or ?? to avoid returning to LA
It’s possible you have bigger issues than you know. I can’t imagine LA County doing this, but you have evidently failed to appear for your arraignment. You might (pretty big might, I’m thinking) have a warrant for your arrest or your license may have been suspended.
Either way, I suspect you’re looking at more than just a 12500 ticket at this point. I’d be very surprised if you haven’t also been charged with failure to appear.
You need to contact the Court and see what you need to do at this point. When you do so (and I’m thinking writing them is a good idea), you’ll want to include a copy of your (possibly) valid license as well, just to show that you got it renewed. Might want to go to DMV fist and verify that you really do have a valid license, though.
If you’re really lucky, there’s an attorney here by the name of John S and he may see your question. If he tells you to walk into court and stand on your head, I’d do it and go from there.
Bottom line (absent something from John), you need to contact the Court before you jaunt on down there. I’d get on that DMV thing, too.
I think you’d better not just take your chances with this ticket, especially that it includes jail time. There is this attorney that helped me a lot with my California traffic tickets and has saved me from a lot of jail time and fines and points on my record (I get a lot of tickets, speeding, red light and once I was driving on a suspended driver’s license!!). So I think it would be good to consult with him as well. You can also check his website http://www.4MrTicket.com (his name is Amir Soleimanian)