traffic ticket..

[ericf19931]

hi guys, today i got my first traffic ticket. and im still a juvenile(17 yrs old) and im confused about the things i have to do in order to clear the ticket. do i have to go to court? on the ticket it says i dont have to go to court if i pay a bail fee but im not sure if thats for adults or juveniles. and what about traffic school? anyone help me out on this?

 

[Legodude522]

Well, where do you live? Age shouldn't matter as long as you weren't under the influence.

The ticket should say how much the fine is and if a court appearance is required. Most states have "points". Points will affect your insurance rates and if you have too many points, you lose your driving privileges. If you get points, you might want to fight it so your insurance doesn't go up. If there is no court appearance required, you can sometimes pay the fine online. If court appear is required, you have to plead guilty or not guilty. Usually one would just plead guilty and pay the fine. There is also the option to plead not guilty and get a lawyer to represent you. Either way it's costly and you lose even if you win.

 

[superman22x]

Just a speeding ticket? Just pay the fine. Here in IL, you pay a $75 fine, and you have the option to take a $20 class (4 hours) that will clear the ticket from your record so your insurance doesn't go up. That's what I did. Not sure about other states though.

 

[GKil164]

Well, in most states if you pay the ticket, it is an asmission of guilt, and you are pleaing no contest. However, if you chose not to pay it and go to court, you have a chance of getting off. The police officer may chose not to show, the court may simply dismiss the case, or say to pay a "donation".

Here in connecticut, we have no point system at all, but tickets remain on record for 3 years if you are found guilty. We can literally at this time get as many tickets as we want and not lose our license (except for more serious infractions, DUI, reckless driving). However, if you get a certain amount of tickets (for 24 and under, 2 tickets), you have to attend "operator retraining course" for $60... (after attending this class, my insurance actually dropped a bit?)

So pretty much, if you are in the states, if the ticket is a lot, you may want to consider fighting it. However, it is usually easier to just pay it and take any consequences. Surprisingly enough, I have had 4 tickets, and my insurance rate has never gone up. But if you have a more strict insurance company, you may not be so lucky.