This Blog was brought to you by the San Antonio Traffic Violations Attorney Gordon Slade

Competent Representation For Speeding Tickets

Our office has been taking Vehicle & Traffic law cases for over 20 years. We represent clients in courts throughout almost the entire state of Texas. We have handled thousands of cases and listened to the accounts of thousands more motorists who have been pulled over for violating local traffic laws. We have argued and negotiated with the very State Troopers and other law enforcement agents who are responsible for prosecuting these cases. I mention this not as a bragging point, but to give some idea of our credibility regarding what

I’m about to explain.
An officer has full discretion to issue a warning and send you on your way OR to write the ticket, but there are several factors that may be considered and eventually determine what happens.

Why You Are Being Stopped
If you are pulled over for making a right-hand turn without signaling, you are much more likely to get a break than someone street racing at 100+mph in a school zone. Vehicle & Traffic laws (which include speeding and signaling) are put in place to provide order and safety to everyone on the road. If you are caught doing something that is particularly egregious or puts other people in danger, law enforcement officers are not going to be amused. In our experience, these public servants take their jobs very seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute to the full extent of the law, especially when it involves someone who appears to have no regard for the law or its officials. This brings us to our next point.

Your Attitude & Excuses
Don’t tell the officer that you have a meeting to attend, are late to a funeral, or are just trying to get to the next exit to find a bathroom. They’ve heard it all. Even if it is true, stop for a minute and think about how many excuses and outright lies these officers hear every single day. Most Troopers appreciate a good attitude and some good old-fashioned honesty. They are not in the business of issuing false tickets (although it does happen) and they are not just there to collect revenue (although that may be part of it). Either way, when you get pulled over, the brief moment you have to interact with the officer at the window is not the time to “put up your dukes” and start a crusade against the Vehicle & Traffic laws. If you got caught, accept your ticket and learn about the great system Texas state has for reducing or waiving your charges. If you want a fight, save it for later and hire a lawyer. If you want a warning, keep your self-righteous attitude and excuses to yourself. Officers are much more likely to give warnings to citizens that are cooperative, courteous, and in some cases, candid.

Your Driving History
It may be somewhat of a Catch 22, but if you already have a clean driving history you are more likely to keep it that way. Drivers with no points have an easier time securing reductions on their tickets and qualifying for diversion programs that provide for outright dismissal of charges. In fact, many Traffic Diversion Programs require you to have no speeding ticket convictions in the past 18 months in order to even qualify. When you get pulled over, the officer can do a quick search of your driving history – and may do so before you’re even stopped. If your license is suspended, if you have recently pleaded guilty to a traffic offense (especially if it was the same law for which you are being pulled over), or if you already have points, you are much less likely to get a warning. A bad driving history says that you are a problematic driver, putting people in danger and/or disregarding state traffic law. If that seems like the case, don’t count on getting a break.

No Luck With a Warning? There is Still Hope
Fortunately, even if you don’t get a warning you can still probably get a reduction or even have your ticket dismissed. The State of Texas requires that you answer your ticket with a plea of Guilty or Not Guilty before any penalties like fines and points are assigned. In most cases, you can hire an attorney to apply for a reduction of your charges and save a ton of money and keep your driving history clean. Some counties have Defensive Driving programs. These programs will guarantee a dismissal of your charges if you complete the requirements (and can qualify). Most require you to pay a fee and take a defensive driving course.

Remember, if you feel that you are not guilty of the charges entered against you, you have the right to demand a trial. You will be able to face your accuser and testify before the judge that you were not speeding. When attending court, be sure to dress appropriately and be respectful. Your attorney should be able to advise you on everything else. If you’re still shopping for attorneys, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to take a few minutes to get to know your case and give you an honest quote and evaluation.

This Blog was brought to you by Speeding Fines San Antonio

Unrestrained Kiddos In The Backseat Will Get You A Ticket

Texas Troopers say they issued 141 tickets to motorists for having unrestrained or improperly restrained children in their vehicles found during a weekend traffic detail at a state park. They say the checkpoint Sunday morning at the entrance to the park showed youngsters lacking required child seats, booster seats, seatbelts, or some combination of those. Drivers were issued tickets. State police say the checkpoint tickets are part of a summer-long effort to ensure the safety of children in vehicles.

Coasting down the tree-lined parkway a State Trooper scans his eyes from driver to driver, on the prowl for people violating the state’s ban on using cell phones behind the wheel. “Got one,” he announces. Within a moment, he triggers a switch, and the red and blue lights of his unmarked police SUV illuminate. He changes lanes and signals to the driver of the Ford E-250 to pull over. The driver throws his hands up in exasperation, hurriedly tossing his cell phone to the passenger seat. The attempt to conceal his phone is in vain, as are his desperate arguments that the call was for work. The officer issues him a citation. He is on the front lines of a state crackdown on distracted driving. As a two-hour ride in his vehicle on a recent afternoon made clear, he is in a target-rich environment. Even as many drivers now understand that phone use while behind the wheel is dangerous, they feel powerless to resist in the face of work and social pressures that demand connectivity. “It’s so second nature for people to use their phones,” he said. “It’s like a new appendage.” In a mere two hours on he ticketed nine drivers. Six said they were using their phone for work. Reactions ranged from resentment to resignation, although some drivers offered bizarre explanations for their phone use. One young woman driving a Honda Odyssey had her eyes glued to her phone’s GPS. She had a corpse and casket in the back of the car.