Police in Oak Island and throughout North Carolina will conduct traffic stops and issue tickets when they see drivers commit traffic violations, such as speeding, illegal turns, or running through red lights without stopping. If you were recently issued a ticket for any traffic violation, it is vital to know what penalties you could face and the value of consulting an Oak Island traffic violation lawyer who may be able to help you fight it in court.
Christina Rivenbark & Associates provides client-focused legal counsel for Oak Island drivers who intend to fight their recently issued traffic tickets. Our team knows how to identify procedural missteps and other factors that could lead to your ticket being dismissed. Unfortunately, many drivers assume they can simply pay the fine on a ticket and forget about it, not realizing the full breadth of effects this may have on their lives.
Beyond the fine listed on your ticket, you could face additional consequences for a traffic violation in Oak Island. When you pay the fine, you are effectively admitting guilt for the offense, and this may cause your insurance premiums to increase once your auto insurance carrier is notified of the offense. You could also have demerit points applied to your driver’s license, and too many points in a short time could lead to the loss of your driving privileges.
Ultimately, it is worth fighting your traffic ticket in court, and an experienced Oak Island traffic violation lawyer on your side significantly improves your chances of success with this effort. Our team can carefully review the details of how your ticket was issued and identify any evidence that could be leveraged for you, helping you disprove the basis for the traffic stop or proving that the officer did not conduct a lawful stop in some way.
Having the right attorney on your side makes confronting traffic court much easier. It is technically possible to approach this situation without legal counsel, but this is likely to be far more challenging than you initially expected. Your attorney can be able to identify evidence that supports your side of the case that you may have overlooked on your own.
Traffic court may not be as daunting as criminal court, but it can still be challenging for the average person to make a compelling case before a judge. They may not know how to articulate their side of the story effectively, but an experienced lawyer can represent them and make these arguments on their behalf.
It is possible to have your traffic ticket dismissed if you can prove that the police officer who issued the ticket lacked probable cause to conduct the stop in the first place or if they were mistaken in the method they used to confirm that you committed a moving violation. Your Oak Island traffic violation lawyer can help identify any such variables in your case and assist you in presenting the most compelling argument possible to fight the basis for your ticket.
The penalties for a traffic ticket in Oak Island may extend beyond the fine listed on the ticket. You could face increased insurance premiums, points on your license, and possibly even loss of your driver’s license if you simply pay the fine and admit fault. An experienced Oak Island traffic violation lawyer can advise you as to whether it is worth contesting your ticket in traffic court, and they may be able to help avoid these often overlooked penalties.
The majority of traffic tickets issued in the state pertain to speeding. Exceeding the posted speed limit is inherently dangerous, although it is common to see drivers in many areas of the country slightly exceeding posted speed limits to maintain the flow of traffic. Other common moving violations in Oak Island include running red lights or stop signs, performing illegal turns and U-turns, and failing to yield the right-of-way where appropriate.
Certain traffic offenses will lead to demerit points on the driver’s license. If an individual accumulates 12 or more points within a three-year period, they could have their driver’s license suspended. Following reinstatement, eight points within three years would lead to an additional suspension. Points assigned to a driver’s license last for three years. Multiple offenses in a short time or a major traffic violation could lead to the accumulation of 12 points very quickly.
It is technically possible to represent yourself in traffic court, but this is inadvisable in many ways. You might think you can form compelling arguments on your own, but the courtroom setting can be daunting for the average person, and you may be confronted with the officer who issued your ticket. Your Oak Island traffic violation lawyer will know how to prove your side of the case and highlight any procedural errors that could lead to your case being dismissed.
When you are issued a traffic ticket from a police officer, the ticket itself will include instructions for paying the fine for the offense listed on the ticket, and it will include instructions for contesting the ticket in traffic court. These instructions will include the time limit in which you have to notify the court that you are fighting the ticket.
The team at Christina Rivenbark & Associates can help fight your traffic ticket in Oak Island, and we are careful to explain our billing policy to each new client so there are no surprises when it comes to the cost of our legal representation. You have a short time in which to fight your ticket, so contact us today and schedule your consultation with an Oak Island traffic violation lawyer you can trust to defend you.
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