How Amending a Missouri Traffic Violation Protects Your License
If you get flashing lights behind you in your car on I-70 or I435, a traffic ticket can completely ruin your day. Like most Kansas City metro drivers, your immediate reaction to a speeding ticket or even a failure-to-yield ticket is to log online and pay the fine; however treating a traffic ticket defense as a quick administrative chore is arguably one the most expensive mistakes a driver can make.
If you pay the ticket without fighting it, you plead guilty to the offence. Your administrative admission of responsibility with the state of Missouri automatically goes against your driving record with the Missouri Department of Revenue Points system.
The Importance of Amending the Violation
The goal of any traffic ticket defense is the reduction or amendment of the moving violation to that of a non-moving violation; something as mundane as an ordinance for illegal parking, or a faulty equipment violation.
An amendment is a plea agreement with the prosecutor that allows the state to continue to collect revenue via court fees while neutralizing all of the subsequent impacts upon the driver. By getting an amended violation, you are guaranteed:
- No points will be placed upon your Missouri driver’s license.
- Your driving record continues to reflect a clean driving history to insurance companies
- Most run of the mill citations can be handled entirely by your lawyer without you ever having to miss work to appear in court.
Whether you are driving as part of your work, or making your daily commute, avoiding moving violations is critical to protecting your ability to earn a living and maintain long-term fiscal health.
Local Expertise Makes All the Difference
The practice of law, like any profession, is specialized and it is incredibly localized. For example, if you are an injured worker in Florida, you would hire a Miami workers comp lawyer to deal with the intricacies of regional regulations.
Likewise, an experienced Missouri traffic lawyer is needed when fighting a citation where familiarity with local municipal courts are key. Laws governing speeding violations, specific ordinances regulating traffic flow, and the administrative inclinations of municipal prosecutors vary tremendously in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
A defense in the Independence Municipal Court will differ from practices, procedures, and typical plea resolutions used by prosecutors in the Lee’s Summit, Gladstone or Kansas City Municipal Court. A seasoned traffic defense attorney has developed relationships with the prosecutors and is highly skilled in dealing with all the required legal pathways to protect your case.
Take Control of Your Driving Record
The sooner you take action after being cited for a driving violation, the more money you’ll save yourself and protect your record. Once you plead guilty by paying a traffic fine, removing any citation from your driver’s record becomes much more difficult, and sometimes impossible to overcome.
The most effective way to resolve a traffic ticket is to fight it in court and have the violation reduced from a moving infraction to a non-moving one. A plea agreement that reduces the violation will also keep points off your license, keep your car insurance premiums from increasing, and will help you avoid any future complications with your driver’s license.