In Pennsylvania, there's a fairly good chance that you'll acquire at least one traffic citation throughout your lifetime for allegedly violating state traffic regulations.
Drivers have been known to ignore the citing of these tickets and often fail to take the time to alleviate the problem by making the payment. However, such a poor response can lead to further complications for you.
Here's everything you need to know about traffic citations in Pennsylvania and how to respond to them if you ever get cited.
What is a traffic citation?
A traffic citation is a written record issued for an act that breaches traffic laws. As such, it's essential, as a motorist, to be aware of and follow the various traffic laws in your state. Depending on the gravity of your offense, you may have to pay a fine, appear in court, or even do jail time.
Types of traffic citations
In Pennsylvania, traffic citations aren't all tickets and fines. Sometimes, they call for traffic school attendance. Here are the various types of traffic citations to know about in Pennsylvania:
Non-moving citations
Your vehicle doesn't always have to be on the move for you to rack up a traffic citation. For instance, you can get a parking ticket for parking illegally.
Citations for moving violations
You can also get a citation for moving violations such as:
Speeding
Running a stop sign
Driving under the influence
Failure to signal
What Information is contained on a PA traffic citation
If you're cited by the authorities in Pennsylvania, you can expect a one-page form document printed by the police officer. The document contains the following details.
Fines or fees
A brief description of the traffic violation
The offense and statute number
Vehicle description
The defendant's name and address
A description of how to respond to the citation
Responding to a Pennsylvania traffic citation
Here are the steps to take if you've been cited for violation of traffic regulations in Pennsylvania:
Read the relevant code section
The first step is to review the code you've allegedly violated and check to see if the law has any vague terms you can contest.
Get a Pennsylvania attorney
You must contact an attorney as soon as you get the traffic citation. An attorney well-versed in Pennsylvania's traffic laws can help you assess the finer points of the code you've allegedly violated and provide relevant advice on whether or not to plead guilty.
Decide on your plea
Depending on the gravity of the offense, you might determine that a not-guilty plea is in order. Here, you must prepare to request a hearing to be prosecuted by the arresting officer.
Pennsylvania law gives you a maximum of 10 days to respond to the citation and make your plea. If you fail to respond within this period, you will be adjudged guilty.
Get expert legal advice for an alleged traffic violation today
The arresting officer will have evidence against you, such as a record of your violation captured on a handheld speed gun. In such cases, you shouldn't complicate matters by ignoring the citation altogether, as the consequences are severe. Call us immediately for legal counsel.
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