As experienced traffic lawyers serving Central Florida, our team of legal professionals has the expertise, resources, and years of experience to help resolve your traffic offense with confidence and efficiency. Contact our law office to learn more.
Many Floridians make the mistake thinking that traffic violations are minor infractions with small consequences, but that’s not always the case. The reality is that certain traffic violations can have a tremendous impact on your ability to legally drive, your finances, and even your freedom.
If you are facing a serious traffic violation, your best move is to partner with an experienced attorney who can mount a robust legal defense on your behalf. Fortunately, you don’t have to look too far for expert guidance: The trusted traffic lawyers at Sergio Cruz Criminal Defense are standing by to help.
This article will discuss the nature of traffic violations in the State of Florida, explaining how lawyers get tickets reduced, the differences between a civil and a criminal traffic offense, the types of traffic tickets our law firm defends, the benefits of partnering with a traffic violations attorney, and more.
Why Should I Hire an Orlando Traffic Ticket Lawyer?
Traffic tickets in the State of Florida are more than an inconvenience — they are a fast track to increased points on your driving record, elevated insurance premiums, and higher ticket fines. If you fail to secure legal representation, you could miss opportunities to contest your ticket or negotiate a reduction in charges, potentially leading to a license suspension and more. Fortunately, there is an easy alternative: Contact our knowledgeable traffic lawyers for legal advice and guidance.
How Do Lawyers Get Tickets Reduced?
Lawyers can employ various strategies to get traffic tickets reduced in Florida. The best approach for your case, however, depends on the specific circumstances of the ticket, the evidence available, and your driver’s record. When working to get your ticket reduced, our criminal defense attorneys will take the following steps:
- Examining the evidence. We will review the details of your ticket to identify any errors or inconsistencies. We can request and review the issuing officer’s notes, as well as any available dashcam or bodycam footage.
- Negotiating with the prosecutor. We can present mitigating circumstances, such as a clean driving record, and negotiate with the prosecutor to explore a reduction in charges in exchange for a guilty plea to a lesser charge.
- Exploring traffic school. We can explore whether enrolling in a state-approved traffic school would benefit your situation or reduce points on your driver’s license.
- Challenging the officer’s observations. Our traffic violations lawyers can question the officer’s vantage point, arguing it was not conducive to accurate observations, to find inconsistencies in their claims.
- Arguing for technicalities. Our attorneys can identify procedural errors, including improper issuance of the ticket or failure to provide timely notification. We can also argue that necessary documentation, such as the maintenance records for the speed detection device used in your incident, is missing.
These are just a few of the ways in which we can get your ticket reduced in Orlando. Ultimately, our traffic violations attorneys will cater their specific approach to the unique details of your situation to achieve the best possible outcome.
What Is the Difference Between a Civil Traffic Offense and a Criminal Traffic Offense?
In the State of Florida, traffic offenses are categorized into two main types: civil traffic offenses and criminal traffic offenses. These categories differ significantly in terms of severity, legal consequences, and how they are processed through the legal system.
Civil Traffic Offenses
Civil traffic offenses are typically minor infractions that do not involve serious harm to others. They are violations of traffic laws that are punished with fines, point’s on the driver’s license, and other administrative penalties. Examples include speeding, running a red light, failure to yield, illegal parking, and similar violations.
The legal process for resolving civil traffic offenses is going to traffic court. In most cases, the accused driver can choose to simply pay the fine, contest the ticket in court, or attend a traffic school to reduce points on their license. The burden of proof in traffic cases is generally much lower than in criminal cases.
Criminal Traffic Offenses
Criminal traffic offenses are more serious than civil traffic violations because they involve harm or potential harm to others. As a result, they typically carry harsher penalties, including the possibility of jail time, probation, community service, mandatory driving courses, and license suspension or revocation. Examples of criminal traffic offenses include driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked license, fleeing law enforcement, and more.
Criminal traffic offenses are handled in criminal court rather than traffic court. As with other criminal cases, the defendant has the right to a trial, legal representation, and other protections. The burden of proof for conviction is “beyond a reasonable doubt” — much higher than the burden of proof associated with civil offenses.
In summary, civil traffic offenses are minor infractions that are non-criminal in nature. Criminal traffic offenses, on the other hand, are serious violations that can result in fines, jail time, probation, and more. Understanding the distinction between civil and criminal traffic offenses is a critical aspect of designing an effective legal defense strategy.
Types of Traffic Tickets We Defend
The traffic violations lawyers at Sergio Cruz Criminal Defense handle a vast range of traffic violations, including both civil and criminal infractions. Here are a few examples of the types of traffic violations and tickets we defend:
- Criminal traffic violations, including DUI, reckless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked license, hit and run, vehicular manslaughter, and more
- Motor vehicle accidents violations, including following too closely, failure to yield the right of way, running a red light or stop sign, speeding, and more
- Commercial driver’s license (CDL) violations, including logbook violations, overweight vehicle citations, speeding in a commercial vehicle, DUI while operating a commercial vehicle, and more
- Traffic tickets, including red light camera tickets, speeding tickets, and other moving violations tickets
- Suspended license infractions resulting from accumulating too many points, failing to pay fines, DUI convictions, and other serious violations
- Toll violations that occur when a driver fails to pay required toll fees or uses an electronic toll system without proper registration
As you can see, our team of experienced traffic violations attorneys offer legal advice, guidance, and representation in a large range of traffic-related incidents. From criminal charges for traffic violations to civil infractions like speeding tickets, we’re here to defend your rights and secure a favorable outcome for your case.
The Benefits of Using a Traffic Violations Attorney
Partnering with a traffic ticket attorney can provide you with many potential benefits, especially when you’re facing more serious infractions. Here are a few of the most notable advantages of securing legal assistance:
- Lower insurance rates. By helping reduce or eliminate points on your driving record, negotiating outcomes with the prosecutor, and contesting tickets, we can help you maintain a clean driving record and keep insurance premiums lower.
- Protecting your driving record. Our attorneys understand the complexities of Florida traffic laws and can identify inconsistencies in the prosecutor’s case to negotiate point reduction and help you avoid license suspensions.
- Time savings. Our law firm will handle the necessary legal paperwork and filings, navigate the legal system efficiently, and represent you in court so that you can focus on your daily responsibilities instead of fretting about your traffic violation case.
- Court appearances. In many cases, our traffic violations lawyers can appear in court on your behalf, saving you the time, stress, and inconvenience of missing work.
- Minimizing fines. Our legal professionals can contest your traffic tickets, negotiate fines, and identify critical errors, potentially eliminating or reducing your fines and helping you save money.
Ultimately, working with a qualified traffic violations lawyer offers numerous potential benefits and legal solutions that protect you from incurring serious penalties.
Sergio Cruz Criminal Defense: Top Traffic Lawyers in Florida
If you’ve accumulated several traffic violation tickets or are struggling to deal with a criminal traffic offense, there’s no reason to navigate your situation alone. Our experienced traffic violations attorneys can manage your case with efficiency and ease so that you can get back to what really matters: living your life. Contact our law office to get started.
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In need of a strong defense? Don’t face your charges alone. Get the legal support you need call today or email us. Your defense starts here.
