You just got a traffic ticket that you don't think you deserved. Don't panic. You don't have to simply pay the fine and forget about it. If you think your ticket was unwarranted, you do have legal recourses available to you. Here are three challenges you can bring up in court that might get your charges reduced or dismissed altogether.
The Officer's Conclusion Was Subjective
Officers give tickets based on their own professional observations. However, sometimes those observations are subjective. This is particularly true if the officer was busy with other tasks when the alleged infraction occurred. For instance, the officer was driving in heavy traffic and couldn't see your entire vehicle. If you were making a rapid lane change at the same time as other vehicles were – and the officer cited you for unsafe lane change – you may be able to argue that your actions were safe for the traffic at the time.
The Officer Couldn't See Clearly
If you were cited for an infraction that occurred in an intersection – or other area with poor visibility – you may be able to argue that the officer's field of vision was impeded, which made it difficult to get a clear view of the alleged incident. For instance, if you've been cited for failing to come to a complete stop, you may be able to argue that a traffic light or phone pole made it impossible for the officer to see that you had, in fact, come to a full and complete stop before proceeding.
Circumstances Beyond Your Control
You never know when circumstances beyond your control are going to cause you to violate a traffic law. Things like road hazards, insects, or even health issues can create a situation in which a traffic law is broken. For instance, a bee flying into your car may cause you to swerve into the other lane. Or a health issue may require you to speed to get obtain medical care.
The latter can become an issue if you've been flagged by a red light camera. If you ran a red light during an emergency, you may be able to argue that the charges should be dropped. It's important to note that if you plan on using a medical emergency as your defense, you'll need to provide proof of the emergency.
If you've been cited for a traffic violation, and you believe the charges are unwarranted, you need to seek legal recourse. The challenges discussed above will help you fight your ticket in court. For further assistance, you should speak to a traffic law attorney.
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