When you get a traffic ticket in Illinois, you may not think to fight it because you know you were wrong in running a red light or failing to use your turn signal. You may feel it is fair for you to have to pay a fine and be more careful in the future.
USA Today breaks down why it may be best to have a traffic ticket attorney look into your case. While there may not be any doubt that you broke the law, that does not necessarily mean you have to accept the punishment without legal intervention.
Lower penalties
Traffic ticket attorneys may not be able to eliminate your penalties for a moving violation entirely, but they can try to reduce your penalties. For instance, you may incur points on your driver’s license as a result of getting a ticket. Depending on how many points you receive, you may find yourself having to pay more in insurance premiums, possibly for the next few years. Should you “earn” more points in the future, you could have your license suspended.
Viable alternatives
Rather than paying a fine or having points added to your driver’s license, a traffic ticket attorney may be able to convince a judge to require you to attend traffic school instead. By attending traffic school, you may have your ticket thrown out, take care of points already on your license, reduce your auto insurance premiums or keep from having points added to your license.
Dismissing a ticket
Instead of paying a ticket, an attorney could have your ticket dismissed. This comes with several requirements, such as the officer who originally gave you the ticket failing to appear in court, your participation in a probationary period and you agreeing to a less serious traffic violation. Note that if the judge does dismiss your ticket, he or she may still require that you pay fines.
