A MARYLAND lawyer is warning ticketed drivers to follow best practices in court by wearing appropriate clothing and taking their case seriously before the judge.
Towson attorney Scott R. Scherr has eight rules for violators facing a hefty fine — including telling his clients to take the matter to court.
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In a 2021 Avvo post, Scherr explained how drivers have 30 days after receiving the ticket to take action.
“You can pay the citation which will result in between 1 and 5 points [on your license] depending on your speed and the speed limit,” he wrote.
“This is reckless because your insurance rates will increase.”
Drivers can take two other directions: request leniency and admit guilt, and request trial.
The latter, he argued, is “always your best option.”
If the police officer who issued the ticket does not appear in court, the driver is acquitted, according to Scherr.
Scherr has other best judicial practices he advises when trying to get a ticket dismissed, two of the main ones being: arriving on time and dressing well.
“You come to court and must dress appropriately,” he wrote. “It never hurts to wear a jacket and tie, suit, dress, nice pants or skirt. This shows respect for the court.”
He advised staying away from “shorts, a hat, jeans or a t-shirt.”
As for arriving on time, the lawyer said this is extremely important because if drivers are late, the judge “will mark the case as ‘failure to appear’ and dismiss the officer.”
Another thing you should check before going to court is which court the case is taking place in.
“Many counties have multiple district courts. Make sure you go to the right place,” he wrote.
However, if you are a driver who falls into the convicted category, don’t worry!
Scherr advised taking an online driving improvement course and presenting the certificate to the judge to prove that “you are taking the case seriously.”
He also advised getting a copy of your driving record to avoid inadvertently lying about your record, as the judge will have access to it in all 50 states.
“Don’t ‘forget’ the New Jersey speeding ticket you got three months ago. The judge will see it,” he said.
He also tells his clients to explain to the judge why they were speeding – but only if they have good reasoning behind it.
Examples of good reasons include “rushing your wife to the hospital because she was going into labor.”
As for commercial license holders who drive a significant number of miles, he suggested telling the judge how many miles they drive per year so that “a few blemishes” appear less severe on the record.
Overall, dealing with an unwanted speeding ticket can be a stressful situation that can still lead to fines and points on your license, but Scherr says following his tips can help lower the fines and number of points on your license. .
He also advises following his tips to avoid license suspension. If you do not pay the fine or do not go to court, your license may be suspended.
Licenses can also be suspended when a person receives a certain number of points, which varies by state.
How to Fight a Parking Ticket
You can avoid being fined by following all published laws and regulations, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets can be avoided by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes can be made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket comes as a surprise to you, there are some things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Read the ticket carefully. Look for errors such as incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would render the ticket invalid.
- Take pictures. The vehicle in the space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that were not cited for performing the same parking service. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with time and date is accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or on crooked posts, or that are not “obvious” are also great things to photograph.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If it is not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Immediately follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have appeal instructions. Waiting until the last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was going to take my car.”
- “I can’t pay this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said everything was fine.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you are facing obstacles and feel stuck, you may want to contact a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader Summary
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