Traffic Ticket Attorney Serving Thurston County
Getting a traffic ticket is unfortunate, whether you deserve it or not. It has some potentially costly repercussions that could negatively impact your life and career altogether. That’s why you need a Thurston County traffic ticket attorney to help you fight the ticket.
Most people would rather take the easy way out and pay the ticket fine without considering the consequences. However, at the Law Offices of Barbara Bowden, we wouldn’t want you to do the same and end up paying heavy traffic penalties for a case you can easily withdraw like most of our past clients have done.
Fighting for your ticket is something you shouldn’t hesitate to do if you value your driving record. This is especially true if you’re a CDL holder because you’re more at risk of being put on driving probation or have your driving license suspended altogether.
Traffic Offenses in Thurston County
In Thurston County, the following traffic offenses could result in a traffic ticket:
- Improper lane change.
- Going 15mph+ over the limit.
- Improper passing.
- Driving above the absolute speed limits.
- Driving at a speed greater than is reasonable under the prevailing weather conditions.
- Among others offenses.
Traffic Ticket Options in Thurston County
You have several available options when dealing with a traffic ticket in Thurston County. These options include:
Paying the Ticket
If you select this option, you’re liable to pay the full ticket fine amount, and the ticket will appear on your driving record.
Request for a Deferred Disposition
A deferred disposition can be requested if you have a moving or non-moving violation. Asking for a deferred disposition is also considered admittance of guilt, but you’ll be asking the court for leniency.
One benefit of this request is that instead of having the ticket reflect on your record for three years, a deferred disposition usually requests the court to dismiss it after a year or less.
There are circumstances where the court won’t grant a deferral. For instance, if you were issued a ticket near a school zone or an accident occurred.
Requesting for a Mitigation Hearing
When you request a mitigation hearing, you admit that indeed you committed the violation, but you have an explanation for why it happened. So, you’re basically requesting a reduction of the ticket fine, and by doing so, you relieve the prosecutor of the burden of proving that you’re guilty.
You’ll have to stand before the court and explain to the judge why they should mitigate your fine. If your explanation convinces the judge, they’ll go ahead and reduce your ticket fine. However, if the judge finds that you committed the infraction on purpose, they’ll order you to pay the fine in full.
Requesting a mitigation hearing isn’t always the best option because the ticket will still appear on your record whether the judge grants your request or not.
Contesting the Hearing
This is the only option worth considering if you want your driving record to remain clean and avoid additional premium insurance charges. By contesting the hearing, you deny that you were at fault, and it’s upon the prosecutor to prove that you indeed committed an infraction.
If the judge rules in your favor, the ticket will be dismissed, and it won’t appear on your driving record. However, if the judge rules against you, you’ll be liable to pay the full traffic ticket amount, and it will reflect on your record.
Traffic Ticket Penalties in Thurston County
There are three types of penalties for individuals found guilty of violating traffic laws in Thurston County. They include:
Monetary Fines
This is the payment of money as a penalty for the infraction committed. The fines vary from case to case. For instance, if you were issued a traffic ticket near a school zone, the fine will be almost double what someone else pays for driving over the speed limit.
License Suspension
The state of Washington lacks a point system that accumulates prior violations. However, the Washington State Department of Licensing keeps track of drivers who commit various traffic offenses regularly. For instance, if a driver has six or more traffic violations within 12 months, they can be suspended for 60 days.
Additionally, if you fail to respond to a traffic ticket, the court can decide to report to the DOL and have your license suspended.
License Revocation
License revocation is the cancellation of your driving license for a given period. For example, the DOL can revoke your license if you’re involved in a series of traffic offenses amounting to multiple traffic tickets.
You’ll need to re-apply for a new license after the revocation period expires. However, keep in mind that there are other requirements you need to meet first before embarking on the re-application process.
What Happens if You Ignore a Traffic Ticket?
You should always take a ticket seriously and respond to it before the deadline expires. Failing to respond by the deadline will mean even greater penalties, including suspension of your driving license.
Should I Hire a Lawyer to Dismiss a Ticket?
Hiring an experienced Thurston County traffic ticket attorney can significantly increase your chances of having the ticket dismissed than when you attempt to contest the ticket on your own. This is because such attorneys are more experienced and can identify loopholes in your case, such as how the ticket was issued and other procedural technicalities.
Trying to fight a ticket on your own may prove difficult if you’re unfamiliar with the rules of evidence handling, the state’s infraction rules of limited jurisdiction, and other legal aspects. For this reason, it’s always advisable to let an experienced Thurston County traffic ticket lawyer from The Law Office of Barbara Bowden handle your case.
What Happens if the Judge Doesn’t Dismiss the Traffic Ticket?
If it’s impossible to dismiss the ticket, our lawyers will negotiate lesser charges, ensuring the ticket won’t appear on your driving record. We’ll do everything within our powers to negotiate a more lenient penalty, even if it means appealing the court’s decision.
Contact a Thurston County Traffic Ticket Attorney
If you plan on fighting your ticket, our lawyers are always prepared to take on your case and have the ticket dismissed or reduced. We’ve done this for hundreds of clients in Thurston County and the entire state of Washington.
We keep our word, and to prove this, check the over 170 reviews we have on Google from satisfied clients.
At the Law Offices of Barbara Bowden, we are always available 24/7 to handle traffic tickets cases in Olympia, Lacey, Yelm, Rochester, Tumwater, Tenino, and other parts of Thurston County.
Don’t wait any longer; call us today at 253-473-4262 to schedule a free case evaluation or send us a quick message online!
