How to Fight a Traffic Ticket in Michigan
Fighting a traffic ticket can often feel like an exercise in fighting City Hall, doomed to failure from the outset. In the state of Michigan, however, it is not generally too difficult to get a traffic ticket downgraded or even revoked. Asking for a lighter penalty will generally only be successful if you have a clean driving record.
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Instructions
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Consider hiring an attorney. Though there is an associated cost, a lawyer may save you money in fees and higher insurance premiums.
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Wear formal attire to your court date. Even though it's only traffic court, you should treat the entire process with the same amount of respect with which you'd treat any court proceeding.
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Be willing to pay court costs to downgrade your ticket. Many Michigan districts will be willing to allow you to plead your ticket down to an offense that doesn't carry points, but this comes at a cost. Paying court costs, however, will be much less costly than paying increased insurance premiums for years.
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Show up early and talk to the prosecutor. He is the individual who can actually recommend a plea to the judge. Get on the prosecutor's good side and see if you can bargain with him.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't make excuses in court. Judges don't want to hear them, particularly claims about how the officers were biased against you unfairly.
Even if you hire an attorney, it's still possible to end up paying the entire ticket's cost, getting the points and also paying the attorney's fees. Be forewarned that bringing a lawyer with you is not a magical bullet.
