I Got a Speeding Ticket in Barstow on the Way to Las Vegas. What Should I Do? (CVC 22350)
If you’re from southern California, you’ve probably made the drive to Las Vegas. Many of the thousands of people who make this drive are doing so at speeds higher than the posted speed limit. In the Barstow area, law enforcement officers are often positioned along the highway in order to catch those who are speeding.
If you are one of the unlucky people who has been cited for speeding on the way to Las Vegas, it is important to understand your legal rights and the Barstow Traffic Court process.
Do Not Ignore Your Speeding Ticket
First of all, it is important to know that you should never simply ignore your speeding ticket. Respond to your speeding citation in a timely manner. Failure to take action by the deadline date may result in severe penalties, such as a civil assessment of $300 and a hold by the DMV on the renewal of your driver’s license.
Should I Fight My Barstow Speeding Ticket?
Depending on your cited speed, the DMV can assess one or two points on your driving record and you can face significant fines for a speeding ticket in Barstow. Additionally, your auto insurance rates may drastically increase. A judge can also suspend your driver’s license for up to 30 days if you were driving over 100 miles per hour.
Clearly, these potential consequences are serious. That is why you should speak to our experienced Barstow speeding ticket attorneys at Wallin & Klarich to find out how we may be able to help you avoid the serious penalties associated with a speeding citation.
Should I Ask for Traffic School?
One approach that our skilled Barstow speeding ticket attorneys take is to request traffic school for our clients. Completion of traffic school will keep the DMV from assessing any points on your driving record. Similarly, it will mask the infraction from your insurance provider so that your insurance premiums will not increase.
Traffic school may be the best solution to resolve your speeding ticket. However, not everyone is eligible for traffic school. In California, you are only permitted to attend traffic school once every 18 months. The Barstow Traffic Court is also unlikely to approve traffic school if you were cited for traveling more than 25 miles per hour above the posted speed limit.
Will I Have to Appear in Barstow Court for a Speeding Ticket?
If you wish to fight your speeding ticket, you will have to appear in Barstow Traffic Court. If you were cited for going over a certain speed limit, you will have to appear in court at your arraignment or have an attorney appear on your behalf. Do you really want to spend time driving to the Barstow Courthouse in order to resolve your speeding matter? Will you have to miss time from work or loss a day of your vacation? With the price of gas and the long distance between where you live and the Barstow Justice Center, it makes good sense to retain our law firm to represent you in the Barstow Court.
In most cases, our attorneys will be able to appear on your behalf in the Barstow Court at both the arraignment and the traffic trial. This will save you a considerable amount of time and stress.
What Can a Barstow Speeding Ticket Attorney Do for Me?
If you wish to fight your speeding ticket, the case is likely to go to a traffic trial.
At trial, the officer who issued you the citation will be subpoenaed to testify. If the officer is not present on the day of trial, your case will be dismissed for lack of prosecution. While not a guarantee, some officers fail to appear at trial due to scheduling conflicts or other official duties. A full dismissal means that you do not incur any points, fines or other legal consequences.
If the citing officer is present at trial, your Barstow speeding ticket attorney has a couple of options. First, he or she can discuss an amended charge. Depending on the specific facts of your case, your attorney may be able to negotiate a reduction to a non-moving offense such as coasting under Vehicle Code 21710. If this is successful, you may need to pay a fine for this violation but you would not incur a point on your driving record nor would you lose your traffic school eligibility.
If a reduction is not viable, your Barstow speeding ticket attorney will be prepared to argue on your behalf at the traffic trial. Your lawyer will attack the officer’s observations and present any valid legal defenses in order to help you obtain the best possible outcome in your case.
Contact Our Barstow Speeding Ticket Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today
If you were issued a speeding ticket on the way to or from Las Vegas or any other location, you should contact our skilled traffic ticket lawyers who have been successfully representing clients in Barstow Traffic Court for more than 35 years. Let us help you now.
Our law office is located right across the street from the Barstow Courthouse at:
Wallin & Klarich, A Law Corporation
400 S. 2nd Ave.
Barstow, CA 92311
Contact our law firm today at (877) 466-5245 so we can discuss your case and determine the best legal defense to use in your case. We will be there when you call.