Reasons to Hire a Lawyer for a Speeding Ticket

It's a good idea to get a lawyer for a speeding ticket in most cases. If you have received a speeding ticket in Kansas City, Missouri, it is important to contact an experienced speeding ticket attorney to discuss your options. Receiving a speeding violation can be a stressful and overwhelming experience, and it can be tempting to want to just plead guilty, pay the fines, and get it over with (assuming you are financially able to do so). However, it is important to consider the long-term repercussions of accepting the violation as charged.

Think About the Long-Term Repercussions

Under Missouri’s point system, pleading guilty to a speeding ticket can add up to three points to your driving record, and the charge will remain on your record for five years. The more points you accumulate on your driving record, the higher your risk of having your license suspended if you receive an additional ticket. For instance, when you accumulate eight or more points in 18 months, your license will be suspended for 30 days. A second suspension will last 60 days, and a third suspension will last 90 days. If you accumulate 12+ points in 12 months, 18+ points in 24 months, or 24+ points in 36 months, you will lose your license for a year. It is advantageous to have as few points on your record as possible. 

Get a Lawyer for a Speeding Ticket to Keep Insurance from Increasing

Having points on your driving record is likely to increase your insurance premiums. Insurance companies review your driving records before issuing quotes and having even just one speeding violation is likely to cause significantly higher premiums than a record without a speeding violation. In many circumstances, a lawyer is able to help keep your record clean, which will prevent your insurance premiums from increasing. 

Avoid Unnecessary Jail Time

In Missouri, jail time is a possible outcome for certain moving violations. A violation of basic speeding law may appear as a Class B Misdemeanor, carrying up to six months in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine, whereas, a violation of absolute limits may appear as a Class C Misdemeanor, carrying up to 15 days in jail and a maximum of $750 in fines. An experienced lawyer can work with the prosecutor to help you avoid or minimize any jail time. If you are facing possible jail time for a speeding violation, it is important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible to determine the best course of action. In many cases, when you get a lawyer for a speeding ticket, they will be able to negotiate an agreement for you to pay a slightly increased fine and court costs in exchange for pleading to a reduced non-moving violation which carries no jail time. 

How Can a Lawyer Help?

An experienced Kansas City, Missouri Speeding Ticket Lawyer can work with the prosecutor to work out a deal that is beneficial to you. In many cases, your attorney will be able to work with the prosecutor to reduce your speeding violation to a non-moving violation, so no points or infractions are added to your driving record. This also means that your insurance rates will not be affected.

Call an Experienced Kansas City, Missouri Speeding Ticket Attorney

If you have received a speeding ticket in Missouri, contact Aimee the Attorney, your Kansas City Traffic Ticket Lawyer, for a free consultation. Aimee Gromowsky is a former Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County. She has over 19 years of experience in Kansas and Missouri courts and handles thousands of cases in the Kansas City, Missouri area every year. If anyone can wipe your record clean, it is her! Contact her today.