TALKING YOUR WAY OUT OF A SPEEDING TICKET IN SEATTLE
Greg / 0 Comments /TALKING YOUR WAY OUT OF A SPEEDING TICKET IN SEATTLE
People always wonder how Seattle ticket lawyers win contested hearings. In some circumstances drivers are caught “red handed” and, to them, not even the best ticket lawyer in Seattle would be able to win their case.
For us, losing a contested hearing is rarely the case; our success rate for traffic tickets in Seattle-area is incredibly high. How we beat tickets in Seattle is a loaded question.
There is no such thing as a “secret formula” or a “special trick” that Seattle ticket lawyers use. Instead, there is good lawyering, knowing the law, evaluating each case individually, and understanding the procedures that an officer and the courts must follow.
TALKING YOUR WAY OUT OF A SPEEDING TICKET: IT DOES NOT WORK!
The biggest mistake drivers make when stopped for a traffic violation in Seattle-area is attempting to talk their way out of the ticket. Every “expert” on getting out of a ticket claims to have a special trick that gets them off “every time.” Some claim that crying will do it every time. Others claim that officers let them off all the time just because they have a nice car. Personally, I think these are urban legends told to impress Facebook friends.
Of course there are instances where officers decide not to issue a ticket and let drivers off with a warning. But first, it rarely happens. Second, if it does happen, it happens to new drivers or drivers with unblemished driving records. And third, it happens because the driver was stopped by a nice officer who decided that he was going to let them off with a warning because he was having a good day.
TALKING YOUR WAY OUT OF A SPEEDING TICKET WILL HURT YOU
Not only will attempting to talk your way out of a ticket not help you, it will actually hurt your chances of beating your ticket.
Many drivers who attempt to talk their way out of a traffic ticket think that if they admit to the traffic violation the officer will appreciate their honesty and will let them go. This is very far from reality.
As soon as officers issue tickets, they get back in their car and write up a report. The report contains your information, why they stopped you, etc. Basically, all the information needed for the court to find you committed (like a finding of guilty but for civil traffic infractions) if you end up contesting the hearing. If you admit to having violated the traffic law, guess what else will be in the officer’s report? Your admission!
Remember these golden words when dealing with law enforcement in Seattle: everything you say can and will be used against you in court.
THE BEST WAY TO BEAT A SPEEDING TICKET IN SEATTLE
Your best chance of beating a speeding ticket is to retain a lawyer experienced in defending tickets in Seattle area. Not the lawyer who wrote your grandma’s will and not the lawyer who took care of your uncle’s divorce. I am sure they are great lawyers in their fields, but you would not go to an eye-doctor for your foot surgery, would you?
Law enforcement and the courts must follow rules in order to find you committed of the traffic infraction. Rules that a layperson or an attorney who is not experienced handling traffic tickets is not be aware of. It takes an experienced traffic attorney to understand the procedures that the law enforcement and the courts must follow.
CONCLUSION
Hopefully you will keep this article in mind the next time you are pulled over for speeding or any other infraction in Seattle-area and will not admit to having violated the law. (Definitely do not lie to law enforcement either – that could lead to a criminal charge). Instead, do not admit to anything, hope the officer will let you off with a warning, and if he or she ends up writing you a ticket, give us a call right away!
Greg Sarkisyan is an attorney at Community Law Firm, PLLC, and the author of this post. If you would like to read more, visit us here. If you need legal assistance call (206) 262-7390 or e-mail Help@CommunityLawPLLC.com.