No matter where you live, it’s unlikely that you’ll maintain a perfect driving record forever. Even safe and responsible drivers sometimes speed slightly, roll through stop signs, forget to signal when changing lanes, or fail to move over when a police car is on the side of the road performing another traffic stop. While most traffic offenses are minor and don’t have serious consequences, others can result in harsh penalties. What’s more, if a person is convicted of subsequent traffic offenses, they could face greater consequences, such as license suspension.
At the Law Offices of Glenn & West, LLC, our traffic ticket lawyers can advise and represent you if you are facing a traffic ticket and are unsure of your rights and options. Contact us today for assistance with your case.
Types of Traffic Tickets We Handle
Our traffic ticket attorney can help you handle your case. While we are confident in our ability to represent clients who have received any type of traffic ticket, we are especially adept in the following cases:
- Petty speeding tickets
- Misdemeanor speeding tickets (aka excessive speeding)
- Scott’s Law (aka Move-Over Law) tickets
- Failure to avoid an accident tickets
- Improper lane usage tickets
- Cellphone tickets (the use of a cellphone while driving is now a petty offense in Illinois instead of just a non-moving violation)
- Commercial driver tickets
- Driving with a suspended or revoked license
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
If you have been issued a traffic ticket and aren’t sure what your rights or options are, call our law firm today for counsel and representation.
The Penalties of a Traffic Ticket in Illinois
The specific penalties that you may face for a traffic ticket depend on the type of offense with which you are charged. Potential penalties include:
- Points assessed against your driving record
- Fines and court fees (aka assessments)
- In some cases, the suspension or revocation of a driver’s license, mandatory driver’s education course attendance (required if under 21), community service, or even incarceration for serious traffic offenses
Most traffic offenses in Illinois are characterized as either petty offenses, business offenses, or misdemeanor offenses. Petty offenses are less severe.
- Petty Offenses. Petty offenses are typically just punishable by a fine and court supervision and include offenses such as speeding 25 miles per hour over the limit or less, failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign or committing a lane change violation.
- Business Offenses. Business offenses are less common but usually create more points on a driver’s license and have an increased fine amount that is assessed. The most common one of these that we see if failing to move-over to the other lane while passing an emergency vehicle.
- Misdemeanor Offenses. Misdemeanor offenses, such as driving while your license is suspended or revoked, are more serious and can result in an increased fine and a period of incarceration or mandatory community service. All offenses can result in points being assessed against one’s driver’s license, unless court supervision is received, with the amount of points varying depending on the severity of the offense.
Points & License Suspensions
In Illinois, the number of points on your license dictates the length of suspension you will receive if one is triggered. The Illinois Secretary of State (the agency responsible for driver’s license maters) can suspend your license. One way a suspension will be triggered is if you receive three convictions in a 12-month period.
Know Your Legal Options
Keep in mind that in addition to the above, the conviction of a traffic offense will most likely result in your insurance rates go up. That is why we seek to have your ticket amended to a non-moving violation (e.g., improper parking or an equipment violation) or try to reach a result of court supervision on all offenses where it is available.
Court supervision is a period of time during which you cannot receive any other traffic or criminal law violations. Typically, for a speeding ticket, the court supervision lasts for 90 days. In our experience, although court supervision does show up on your driving record, it will avoid points being assessed on your license and avoid your insurance rates going up whether your license is out of Illinois or other state. But court supervision will not save points on your commercial driver’s license (CDL), only your personal license. You can usually receive court supervision twice in a 12-month period.
Get Legal Help Today
If you’ve been issued a traffic ticket and are wondering whether or not you should pay it or fight it, we can review your case and offer counsel. Our traffic ticket lawyers have years of experience representing clients facing traffic tickets and related consequences. We serve the entire area surrounding Nokomis and Litchfield, IL, including Montgomery County, Macoupin County, Bond County, Fayette County, and more. Contact us today for an initial consultation.
