Salt Lake City Traffic Violation Attorney
Understanding Salt Lake City Traffic Citations
In the state of Utah, traffic offenses are referred to as citations. These are commonly given for violations of traffic law - and could be relating to anything from speeding to running a spot sign. In Utah, the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP), the sheriff's office or even the police departments are all able to give traffic citations as they see fit. When you are given a citation, it will list everything from your personal information (such as your name, driver's license number and address) to the particular offense you being cited for. It will also include the name / location of your court date, the fine deadline and the steps that you must follow to respond to the given citation.
It is also important to realize that in Utah, traffic offenses are broken down into several different classifications. A traffic violation could be considered an infraction or a class C misdemeanor. In some cases, the violation will be severe enough that it will be elevated to even a felony, depending on the circumstances. The differences in these classifications will determine the penalties that are associated; for example, an infraction will typically carry a monetary fine of up to $750, with no risk of imprisonment while a class C misdemeanor could possibly have you imprisoned for three months.
What To Do Following a Traffic Ticket
The first instinct of most people following a traffic ticket will be simply to just bite the bullet and pay the fine. Many do not even realize that they have the option of fighting it! The truth is that paying a fine is accepting guilt - and if you didn't do anything wrong, you shouldn't be forced to pay the price. So it is for this reason that you should get the involvement of a Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer that you can trust. There are steps that you can take to dispute a traffic ticket and they will be able to help.
The first step to disputing a traffic ticket will be simple: you show up on your scheduled court date and you enter in a plea of "not guilty." Following this, your lawyer and the prosecution will be able to negotiate to try and find an agreeable solution. If no agreement is met, the trial will be set. During this court case, you will be able to argue your side; your attorney will be able to present key evidence and will be able to cross-examine any law enforcement officers present.
Traffic Offense Lawyer Serving Salt Lake City, UT
If you have been given a traffic citation, the last thing that you want to do is shove it into your glove box and forget about it. Missing the deadline is nothing to take lightly and will keep you from every being able to successfully fight against the ticket. So don't wait! Contact our legal team at Rocky Mountain Defenders, PC today to learn more about how we can help you defend your legal rights. Over the years, we have been successful in handling criminal charges of all kinds and are able to take on traffic citations as well. No matter whether you were cited for a DUI or if you blew a red light, you can trust that we will do everything that we can to help you defend your legal rights.
Do not hesitate to contact a Salt Lake City criminal attorney from our firm today to learn how we can help you dispute a traffic ticket to protect your legal rights.