Speeding tickets are tickets given when a speed rule is violated. The ticket comes with a fine which the violator must pay. Once a driver gets a speeding ticket, he can either accept it by faith and pay the necessary fine or fight the ticket to redeem himself.
Before a speeding ticket is issued to a driver, he must have gone more than the recommended speed limit. Therefore, when you get a speeding ticket and wish to fight it, what are your chances of getting a speeding ticket dismissed?
You have a high chance of getting a speeding ticket dismissed if your reason for speeding is justifiable, the judge can decide to dismiss the ticket. But, if your reason is not justifiable, the ticket may not be dismissed.
What are Your Chances of Getting a Speeding Ticket Dismissed?
Your chances of getting a speeding ticket dismissed are very high if:
1. You Hire a Good Lawyer
You stand a better “chance of getting a speeding ticket dismissed” if you hire a lawyer who is good at what he does. Being professional and gracious at the same time.
There are some lawyers who have never lost a case ever since they started practicing law. If you eventually end up with such a professional, he or she will do everything possible to get the judge to dismiss the ticket.
The lawyer will be able to give you all the legal advice you deserve having considered your reasons for going over the speed limit. He will indeed fight for a justifiable cause.
However, before a lawyer can agree to fight your speeding ticket with the hope of getting it dismissed, the reason behind the over-speeding has to be justifiable else it will be a waste of time.
You don’t expect a judge to dismiss a speeding ticket caused by your reckless driving. Even if you hire a professional, as long as there’s evidence of your reckless driving, the ticket will not be dismissed.
2. It’s an Emergency
If the reason for your speeding is an emergency, the judge may have the ticket dismissed. However, the type of emergency determines whether the ticket can be dismissed or not.
For example, if you have a pregnant woman in your car who is seriously in labor and you were speeding to get to the hospital, if a police officer pulls you over and gives you a ticket, the judge may decide to dismiss it considering the nature of the event.
The same goes for having a sick child inside the car or any other emergency that involves human health.
Nevertheless, if your emergency is that you were rushing to avoid missing your flight, the judge may not consider it a justifiable reason to overspeed because you could have left the house earlier or find other alternatives.
3. It’s a Defensive Driving
There are types of defensive driving that a judge may consider to get your ticket dismissed, therefore, if you get a speeding ticket as a result of defensive driving, your chance of getting it dismissed is high.
For example, if you were speeding because you were being pursued by some armed men who either wanted to kill, kidnap, or hijack your car.
If eventually you get to a point where a police officer pulls you over, without considering your reasons for speeding and issue you a ticket, you can hire a lawyer to get the ticket dismissed.
As long as you can prove that you were being pursued. The judge may dismiss the ticket considering that you were running for your life.
4. Wrong Details on the Ticket
You have a high chance of getting a speeding ticket dismissed if the information on the ticket is wrong.
Before a police officer gives you a ticket, he will have to input some information on the ticket such as your name, car make and model, color, etc. If while doing this, he wrote the wrong car model, wrong name, etc., a judge can decide to dismiss the ticket.
If this is your case, you stand a better chance of having the ticket dismissed. You can hire a good lawyer and have him do the job for you. You can argue that the ticket does not belong to you since the details written on the ticket are wrong.
5. The Police Officer Fails to Appear in Court
Sometimes, the police officer who issued the ticket to you may not be available to appear in court, the judge may decide to have the ticket dismissed. It all depends on the judge.
6. Your First Speeding Ticket
You stand a chance of having a speeding ticket dismissed if it’s your first speeding ticket. If you have been driving for more than 20 years and your first speeding ticket after 20 years, the judge may consider it as a first-time thing and have the ticket dismissed.
7. The Equipment is Faulty
You stand a better chance of getting a speeding ticket dismissed if the speed radar gun that captured the incident is faulty, the ticket will be dismissed immediately. However, you will have to prove the equipment is faulty before the ticket can be dismissed.
Factors that Enhance the Dismissal of a Speeding Ticket
Below are factors that enhance the dismissal of a speeding ticket:
- The Cause of the Offense: Your reason for speeding can enhance your chances of getting the ticket dismissed especially if your reasons are justifiable.
- The Nature of the Offense: The nature of the offense can go a long way in helping. If for example you crashed into another vehicle and injured or killed the driver while speeding to take your pregnant wife to the hospital, it might be hard to get such a ticket dismissed. However, if you did not cause any harm, just the speeding alone, with such reason, the judge may dismiss the ticket.
- The Judge: The personality of the judge comes into play when it comes to getting a ticket dismissed. If he is a considerable man, he may see reasons with you and dismiss your ticket.
- How you Handled Yourself in the Court: If you appear humble and lovely in the court, the judge may fall in love with your personality which can help enhance your chances of getting the ticket dismissed. If you appear rude and overbearing, you’re on your own.
Can You Get a Speeding Ticket Dismissed Without Going to Court?
No, you cannot get a speeding ticket dismissed without going to court. You must go to court to get the ticket dismissed.
The speeding ticket already has the date at which you must respond to the ticket by appearing to the court, you can fight to have the ticket dismissed when you get there. You can’t do it in the comfort of your home.
A judge will have to sit and hear your reasons why the ticket should be dismissed. If your reasons go well with him by the law, he may dismiss the ticket, otherwise, you will be left to pay the fine.
Can I Get a Lawyer for a Speeding Ticket?
You can get a lawyer for a speeding ticket if you wish to fight the ticket. You can also represent yourself if you have evidence at your disposal.
Representing yourself saves you the cost of hiring a lawyer. On the other hand, hiring a lawyer improves your chances of getting the ticket dismissed especially when you hire a professional.
Conclusion
You have a better chance of getting a speeding ticket dismissed if you humble yourself in the court. The judge may like your personality and see reasons to dismiss the ticket. However, you can ruin those chances if you appear rude and overbearing.
