Barbara A. Bowden

Tacoma, WA DUI Attorney

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I got a ticket, what’s my next step?

First and foremost, it’s important to realize that you only have 15 days to respond to a ticket. You can respond to a ticket one of three ways in Washington.

The first way is to simply pay the ticket. This is the worst option because you’re admitting guilt, you’re allowing the ticket to go on your record, and you’re paying the full amount of the fine.

The second option is to request what’s called a mitigation hearing. Mitigation hearing is asking the court to set you up with a hearing so you can go and explain the circumstances. This is a little better than simply paying the ticket, but you’re still allowing the ticket to go on your driving record. You’re only asking for a reduction in the fine.

The final option is to do what’s called a contested hearing. A contested hearing is asking the court to set you with a hearing so you can go in and fight the ticket. This is where a good traffic ticket defense attorney can come in and help you . We can either get the ticket dismissed or amended down to some type of non-moving violation that does not go on your record.

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