About Traffic Court

Traffic court handles traffic violations and provides a forum in which you can challenge the accusations levied against you by a police officer or highway patrolman. There are many pros and cons that go along with fighting your case in court and with simply paying your fine and moving on. To determine which plan of action is right for you, you'll need to consider your level of guilt, how strong your case against the ticket is, how much time (and money, if you have to take time off of work) you would lose from attending traffic court and what a guilty plea would mean for your driving record.

Function

Traffic court refers to the court of law that handles tickets, including moving and parking violations. It allows you to explain your side of the story to a judge in order to prove that the violation you received was unwarranted. Any evidence that either party has, including video tapes or witnesses, will also be admitted.

Identification

On the date that you are supposed to appear in traffic court, be sure to bring your driver's license, proof of insurance and, in many counties, cash, check or a credit card in order to pay the violation's fine, should you lose your appeal. Should you lose your case, the presiding judge will determine how large your fine will be once he has ruled against you. You will typically need to pay your ticket that day, however, a judge may allow you some more time to gather those funds if you request it.
If you have any evidence, witnesses or witness statements, you'll want to bring those to court as well.

Types

Simple moving violations where no one was injured, no property was damaged, and no one was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol are the most commonly seen cases in traffic court. The most common driving infractions are speeding, driving with an expired or suspended license, failing to stop or yield properly, running a red light and failing to make the proper repairs to a vehicle in order to make it safe for the road. Carpool violations and a general negligence, or disregard for city, state or federal laws can also result in tickets that will wind up in traffic court.

Effects

Ultimately, a person voluntarily chooses to fight their ticket in court because they feel that it was incorrectly issued. Most traffic tickets do not end up in court, however. Many people who either know they are guilty or do not desire to take their battle into a court of law will simply pay the fine. In most states you can pay your fee online, in person or through the mail within an allotted time period. If you fail to respond to your traffic ticket by either showing up for traffic court or by paying your fine a warrant will be issued for your arrest. If you do choose to pay the fine, you will likely still have to attend traffic school either in person or online to keep any extra points from going on your license. These points affect your car insurance rate and, if you accumulate too many, you could even have your license suspended or revoked.

Considerations

Most everyone who appears in traffic court appears voluntarily because they want to fight a ticket. Those who have been accused of more serious driving infractions will be required to show up in court, however. These cases usually involve drunk driving, reckless driving or those that cause personal injury with a motor vehicle. If the crime is serious enough these cases can wind up in a criminal court. If a person is a first-time offender, however, they may be still be tried in traffic court. A ticket will be dismissed if the other party, the person who issued you the ticket, fails to show up in traffic court. Many people choose to fight their ticket in court, even though they know they are guilty, in the hopes that the issuing officer will be unable to make the date and time of the court appearance.