Why You Should Never “Just Pay” A Ticket Issued in a School Zone

Jury trials on tickets issued in a school zone can present a challenge; this is especially true if the juror member has anyone close in school, which is more often true than not. In addition to speeding, the most common type of ticket issued in a school zone, you can also get a ticket for using a cell phone in a school zone, failure to yield right of way to pedestrians, and driving the wrong way on a one-way road. These violations are discussed below.

Speeding in a School Zone

Speeding tickets are the most common type of violation issued in a school zone. It is not unusual to be in a school zone and not know it or to be mistaken about when the school zone is

Cell Phone Use in a School Zone

Failure to Yield to Pedestrian in Crosswalk

One Way Road

Speeding tickets are the most common traffic citations issued in Texas and the most common type of tickets that we handle. If you received a speeding ticket, your first thought might be to pay the ticket and be done with it – this is a mistake that may have some severe financial consequences. When you pay a speeding ticket, the court will enter a conviction that will appear on your driving record.

Speeding ticket convictions can result in a suspension of your Texas driver’s license. Convictions can also be used by your insurance company to increase your premiums, which can be as high as $586 per year. Finally, if you have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or you drive for a living, a speeding ticket may put your job in jeopardy. These “hidden costs” of a speeding ticket can cost you thousands of dollars and affect you for years. If you just pay your fine, you may face higher insurance premiums, a license suspension, and may even put your job in jeopardy!

Considering the harm that can result from a conviction, you should never just pay a speeding ticket. We can help keep this ticket from hurting your record and your pocketbook even if you believe you were speeding, and the ticket was justified.

How a Traffic Ticket Attorney Can Help with a Speeding Ticket

As you can see from the “hidden costs,” a speeding citation can become VERY expensive. The experienced traffic ticket attorneys at Hawkins & Walker, PC, have handled thousands of speeding tickets, and we have solutions to either get a speeding ticket dismissed outright or reduce or eliminate the penalties above.

Defenses to speeding tickets vary based on the state’s evidence. For example, a speeding ticket often results from an officer using a radar or lidar (laser) device in which case the officer has to use the equipment properly, and the equipment must be in proper working order. In other cases, an officer may pace prior to writing a ticket, in which case there may be issues with the officer’s vehicle and whether the officer maintained a proper distance. There may also be issues with whether the speed was reasonable at the time of the violation, even if the speed exceeded the posted speed limit. These defenses, and more, can be explored to seek a dismissal or an offer to keep the speeding ticket off of your record. Even if you believe you are guilty, you should fight a speeding ticket to keep it off of your record to avoid the “hidden costs” that come with a conviction.

If we cannot get the ticket dismissed, we can usually get a deferred disposition (probation) offer that will keep the ticket off of our record (this is not available to CDL holders). In most cases, the prosecutor will lower fines and waive probation fees when we negotiate on speeding tickets. This means we can usually save you money on your ticket, and in most cases, we can handle the speeding ticket without you having to come to court. In other cases, we can get deferred disposition offers on cases where the speed exceeds the limits of what the prosecutor will typically offer probation. If you were issued other tickets with the speeding violation, in many cases, we can get one or more of your tickets dismissed outright as part of a plea bargain.

We have helped thousands of clients with speeding tickets. We are here to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you have so you can make an informed decision and obtain the best results. In most cases, we can appear on your behalf so you will not need to appear in court. Of course, if you do need to appear in court, one of our experienced traffic ticket attorneys will be with you, so you do not have to face the court alone. We will be there every step of the way.

Speeding with a Commercial Driver’s License

If you have a commercial driver’s license (CDL), you are not eligible for deferred disposition to have your ticket dismissed. Still, we may have other ways to reduce CSA points or get the ticket dismissed depending on the jurisdiction. This includes speed reductions, pre-trial diversion programs, and citations swaps. We cannot keep all speeding tickets off of your record if you have a CDL, but we do have a good success rate depending on where the ticket was issued and whether you were driving a commercial vehicle.