Avoiding Collateral Consequences
If paying the fine attached to a moving violation put the matter entirely to rest, it would be tempting to pay it and move on. You would, at the very least, save yourself the time it would take to contest the matter, and the possibility of spending all day in court with no guarantee of coming out any better - that’s a hard pill to swallow.
Here’s what else you might be signing up for when you agree to pay the fine. You’re not pleading no contest, which would be like saying “I choose not to fight it because it would require more time and effort than I’m willing to invest.” You’re pleading guilty - “I committed the violation and accept the consequences.”
That guilty plea could result in points on your license and an increase in your insurance premiums. It also increases the stakes if you’re unfortunate enough to be charged with future violations. Some insurance companies might not be willing to issue you a policy at any premium, and you may be faced with the challenge of having your license suspended entirely.
How can Alles Law help?
We start by investigating the evidence, identifying inherent shortcomings in how it was gathered, looking for errors or omissions in the report, and calling attention to any inconsistencies between the initial report and subsequent police statements.
Check out these examples that highlight how difficult it can be for police to properly interpret all the facts, especially if they are faced with time pressure from staffing issues or other calls in progress.If it’s appropriate, we can bargain with the prosecutors for a better result.
Due to limited judicial resources, prosecutors have at least some incentive to permit a defendant to plead to a lesser offense with a less severe penalty, especially if the defendant is able to make some showing that would invite leniency. By choosing to be represented, you’re demonstrating that you are taking the matter seriously, which is a positive step toward showing they don’t need to levy enormous penalties to get their message across.
What does representation cost?
Many traffic violations can be effectively handled within a single visit to court. Usually this means either an agreement has been reached between the client and the state, or there is something so glaringly problematic with the charge that the prosecution decides not to proceed once it is brought to their attention. Most people, in deciding whether to seek representation for a moving violation, want certainty in how much it will cost them. For this reason, we offer transparent fixed pricing for the scenario just described. This includes the initial visit to court, a thorough review of all available reports, discussing your options with you following this review, and achieving a resolution during that appointment. Any court costs incurred are not included in this fixed fee, which is $475.
Representation that goes beyond the scope of a single court appointment - such as investigation into matters outside the available reports (as an example, an on-site visit to the scene of the alleged infraction), obtaining deposition testimony, or proceeding to trial - would be performed on an hourly basis at a rate of $250. In order to help you determine if this increase in the scope of representation is worth pursuing, an estimate of the total time investment will be provided after the case has been reviewed, so that you are properly armed with the information to do what makes the most sense to you.