If you've been cited for speeding, there are several important things you should know about what a criminal speeding ticket is and how to handle your case.
What is a Criminal Speeding Ticket?
A criminal speeding ticket is a ticket that means your speeding was enough to rise to the level of a traffic crime. This usually means that you were driving well over the posted speed limit or that other special factors applied such as your speeding causing a serious accident.
A traffic crime has several important differences from a regular traffic ticket. A regular traffic ticket is a civil violation while a traffic crime is a criminal offense, just like theft or assault.
When you receive a criminal speeding ticket, the police officer has charged you with a crime, even if you're not taken to jail. Most criminal speeding tickets are misdemeanors. If you've ever been asked on a background check whether you've been charged with a crime, you'll have to answer yes.
Options to Resolve a Criminal Traffic Ticket
When you get a regular speeding ticket, you might decide that it's easiest to just pay the fine and move on. While your insurance might go up for a little while, that's the end of a regular speeding ticket as long as you don't keep getting so many tickets that you lose your license.
If you choose to just pay a criminal traffic ticket, you'll be admitting guilt to a crime and will have a criminal record. That can have a long-term effect on your job prospects, especially when jobs need a clean driving record.
You usually don't want to plead guilty to a criminal traffic offense unless you're able to get a deal where the criminal charge is reduced to a civil violation. If you can't get a good deal, you should fight the ticket to avoid a criminal record.
How to Fight a Criminal Traffic Citation
Fighting a criminal speeding ticket isn't much different than fighting a regular speeding ticket. The real difference is in the consequences you may face if convicted.
Your criminal traffic lawyer can challenge things such as whether the officer used the speed detection equipment properly or whether that equipment was properly calibrated. You may also have other defenses such as a lack of adequate speed limit signs.
Because you're in criminal court, the prosecution has to prove each element of the criminal traffic offense beyond a reasonable doubt or you'll be found not guilty.
Reach out to a traffic crime lawyer near you to learn more.
