I Just Got My Driver’s License and a Speeding Ticket—What Do I Do?

 Posted on October 15, 2020 in Criminal Defense

Finally gaining the ability to drive is an exciting time in every teen’s life. You have spent the last year or so behind the wheel with your parent in the passenger seat, telling you where to turn, reminding you to slow down, and panicking anytime you have to stop abruptly. Gaining experience behind the wheel with your parents by your side is a right of passage that every teen goes through. When you are finally handed the keys to drive on your own, the freedom is exciting, but can also lead to traffic violations if you are not careful. Coming home with a traffic ticket in hand is most teens’ nightmare. You should know what to do if you ever find yourself being pulled over by an officer to avoid exacerbating the situation.

Talk to Your Parents

It is never a good idea to try to hide the traffic ticket from your parents. Some teens may attempt to do this and wind up making the consequences of the speeding ticket much worse than it would have been if they were honest upfront. It is critical that you discuss the situation with your parents so that they can provide you with guidance on how to move forward. Most may assume that getting a ticket means you are guilty of the listed offense; however, you can challenge the ticket with the help of your parents and an attorney.

Making Your Plea

In Texas, it is expected that you will submit a plea for the ticket at your local traffic court. On the ticket, your court date, its location, and the date will be listed. The information included on the ticket is important because it tells you where to submit your plea and/or pay the fine for the violation before its due date. You are able to plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest. Pleading not guilty will require you to go to court with your parents to argue your case. If the judge finds you not guilty, you will not be required to pay the fees or have points added to your license.

Paying the Fine

For those who choose to plead guilty or no contest, the ticket fee will need to be paid by the due date and you are not required to appear in court. This is the route that most will take, but it is important to note that you do still have options if you have room to believe that the charge is inaccurate or unfair for any reason.

Take a Driving Course

As a new driver, you are typically offered the opportunity to take a driving course, in addition to paying your fine, in order to remove the violation from your driving record. Although you may have just finished taking a driving course to obtain your license, you should ask the court if this is an option if they do not offer it from the start. It is best to try to get these traffic violations removed from your record if at all possible since too many violations can lead to license suspension.

Contact an Atascosa County Traffic Ticket Attorney

If you intend on pleading not guilty to your speeding ticket, be sure to work with a defense attorney who can help you negotiate throughout the court proceedings. Rarely do not guilty pleas lead to the removal of charges without an experienced attorney’s advice. While you may be thinking that “this is just one ticket,” additional violations can leave you unable to drive at all. At BRCK Criminal Defense Attorneys, we defend those facing criminal charges of any kind. Traffic violations may seem minor, but you should never face unfair or inaccurate charges on your driving record. To discuss the details of your case, contact our Pleasanton traffic violations defense lawyers at 830-769-1010 today.

Source:

https://www.idrivesafely.com/dmv/texas/safety/teen-traffic-ticket/