5 point ticket. Get a Lawyer?

[LisaNJ25]

DH got pulled over last week for passing a stopped school bus Basically what happened was they were going the opposite way..he saw the school bus with is yellows so he slowed down.. and as he was passing she flipped on the reds. There was no speeding involved. Behind him was an unmarked police car.

He has to go to court next week. Its mandatory appearance. It is a 5 point ticket plus other fines. From asking around to friends and cops he knows he was told to plead not guilty and try to get it reduced.

Now I got a letter in the mail from a lawyer. I guess they get the list of people who received tickets.

So my question is should we get lawyer or should he go in on his own.

I have no idea how much this will even approximately cost us. Its been over 15 years since he has had ticket.

Another question.. after everything is said and done. Are those traffic schools worth it. The ones you see advertised that after the class you can get your points reduced?

 

[Imzadi]

Yes, those traffic schools are worth it. Last I remember, they can take off 3 (?) points. You basically sit there for 3 or 4 hours as they drill you on stuff. It's worth it as it reduces your insurance bill & you hae less points if you get another ticket with points. You can only do them like once every 3-5 years though.

 

[SeaShelley]

I wouldn't get a lawyer. Sounds like he was guilty. I think you might have a better chance of him going to court and explaining his side of the story and getting the fines, etc. reduced. A lawyer is just going to cost you extra $$$ !

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would.

It is worth it to get it reduced to save on your insurance.

Passing a school bus has to have a hefty fine attached to it, I would think.

 

[OK!]

I would get a lawyer in a heartbeat. There's no real point in taking the chance that he might be able to talk his way down to a lesser charge; if the judge decides to be hardcore on him about it, your insurance rates will go waaaay up and he'll get spanked with a hefty fine. IMO, let a professional handle it and know that you'll end up better off. Yes, it'll cost extra money right now, but it'll save a heap in the long run.


This is all coming from someone who actually has a frequent-user discount with a traffic law firm in the area from my younger days when I had a tendency to take posted speed limits as suggestions rather than law. I still get 10% off all fees, even to this day.

 

[chager]

I HATE it when the buses do that! I do not think it is fair to ticket someone when they flip the red sign AS you are passing it! I have put my car on its nose a few times. I slow down when I see yellows but I am not a mind reader so I don't know WHEN they will decide to put the red lights on! They can go 4-5 house (1/4 mile or more) with the yellows. Am I expected to stop dead and let the bus pass me then drive on so I don't get a ticket? How about the driver that simply skips the yellow and goes straight to red? Or the bus that just doesn't bother with flashers at all? All three situations happen in our area and either a daily or weekly basis. Personally I would fight the ticket if you were already passing the bus when she flipped the red sign. That is my thoughts on it anyway. Good luck!

 

[Oreo Cookie]

I don't think you need a lawyer, that will just add to the costs. I know in my town prosecutor meets with everyone before they go in front of the judge. Chances are they will reduce your fines and even the points. They won't be dismissed, but probably reduced. The judge always goes by the recommendation of the town prosecutor.

 

[allison443]

Lisa, I also live in New Jersey like you...I was recently in traffic court in NJ with a family member who got a ticket.

New Jersey has passed a statute called "unsafe driving". If you plead guilty to that you receive no points. It can only be used twice in five years. It is meant for people that have good driving records but received a rare ticket. In the court we were in, everyone that got a speeding ticket was given the chance to plead guilty to the unsafe driving violation, assuming they had a good driving record. They had to pay a big fine (like $400) but most felt it was worth it to avoid the points on their record. Now, most speeding violations aren't five points like your DH's ticket, so I'm not sure if they would allow him to plead that down to a no-point violation. It's worth a try, especially if his record is good.

I'm pretty sure points raise your insurance premiums a lot, and for a few years. You can remove DMV points with a safe driving course, BUT I do not think your insurance company accepts that, if you know what I mean? They still charge you for the points.

If you google nj unsafe driving you can come up with a lot of lawyer's websites...they have a lot of good info on them explaining the traffic court procedure.
I also want to say that I think your DH can probably get an adjournment the first time if you need more time to get advice or something.

Good luck.