Fighting a Washington State Traffic Ticket

If you have recently been charged with violating one of Washington State’s traffic laws, you should consider whether fighting the ticket would be in your best interest. In some cases, a ticket may lead to increased insurance premiums. If you are commercial driver or have a bus, taxi or chauffeur’s license, having a traffic violation on your driving record may affect your current or future employment.

Many mistakenly believe that just because they received a ticket, they will automatically be found guilty. This is certainly not the case. Many police officers do not know the intricacies of the law; however, a traffic attorney does. To fight your moving violation, your attorney will look at the law verbatim and break it down. If your attorney can prove that your driving did not violate all elements of the law, the chances of obtaining a positive outcome in court are increased.

If you receive a ticket, don’t pay it immediately if you are thinking about contesting it. Paying the traffic ticket fine is an automatic admission of guilt. Instead, you can contest the ticket and the attorneys at Callahan Law are available in most jurisdictions to fight your ticket in court. However, do not delay! If you do not respond by payment of the fine, or by requesting a court date to contest or mitigate the infraction within the allotted time, the court will find that you committed the infraction and any unpaid fines will be referred to a collection agency and DOL will likely suspend your driver’s license.

Several defense strategies can be utilized to increase the odds of winning your case. For example, if a subpoenaed officer does not show up to court, your case could be thrown out. This is due to your right to cross examine the officer. Sometimes, choosing a court date that is close to a holiday or summer vacation, increases the odds that the officer is on vacation and may not appear.

If you received a camera-based traffic ticket, you have a good chance of beating it. If the court doesn't obtain the video or picture, your ticket may automatically be dismissed. If an officer comes to court to testify about what is seen on the camera, your attorney may claim “hearsay.” This means that the information is second-hand, as the officer was not there to witness the violation.

Callahan Law helps clients who have been accused of traffic violations in Washington State. To learn more about receiving legal assistance, contact our office today to get started fighting your ticket.