Caroline County Traffic Attorney
For many people, their only contact with the criminal justice system or the courts occurs when they are accused of violating traffic laws. While these issues may seem like a minor annoyance, in reality they have the potential to result in serious consequences. Even less serious offenses, such as going a few miles over the speed limit or rolling through a stop sign, can result in significant fines and may even jeopardize your ability to drive legally. Others, like driving under the influence, may even result in probation or other serious criminal sanctions. As a result, it is important for people who are facing a Caroline County, Maryland, traffic case to retain legal representation as soon as possible. An experienced Caroline County traffic lawyer may be able to negotiate your case down to a lesser offense and may even be able to have the case against you completely dismissed.
Caroline County Traffic Violations
Several major state highways go through Caroline County, including Maryland Route 404, which provides access to beach-goers headed to Ocean City, Maryland, or Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. In Caroline County, the speed limit on Route 404 changes several times as it winds through various municipalities, making it particularly attractive to law enforcement looking to catch speeders. Among the municipalities in Caroline County are Denton, Federalsburg, Goldsboro, Greensboro, Henderson, Hillsboro, Marydel, and Preston. In addition to strictly enforcing speed limits, law enforcement in Caroline County also routinely issues citations for other traffic violations, including:
- Driving under the influence
- Driving while impaired
- Failure to yield
- Failure to signal
- Aggressive driving
- Negligent driving
- Failure to observe traffic signals
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Failure to maintain control
- Failure to reduce speed on a curve
In Maryland, traffic tickets can be divided into two broad categories: those that are “payable” and those that require a court appearance. Generally speaking, those requiring a court appearance are the more serious of the two and have the potential for greater consequences. In the case of a ticket that is payable, it may seem very tempting to just pay it and move on with your life. Unfortunately, paying your ticket is an admission of guilt and will likely result in points being added to your license. These points can mean significantly higher insurance rates and may be on your driving record for years.
Fortunately, an experienced Caroline County traffic attorney may be able to help negotiate a more favorable deal on your behalf that will avoid points on your license. In some cases, your lawyer may even be able to find some procedural defect with the way in which law enforcement handled your case that may invalidate any evidence they have against you. In other cases, the law enforcement officer who issued your citation may have incorrectly applied the law or made some other substantive error. An attorney will be able to spot these issues and make sure that your legal rights are protected.
Serious Traffic Offenses in Maryland Can Have Serious Consequences
While all traffic matters have the potential to become expensive and otherwise inconvenient, some are much more serious than others. Certain offenses, such as reckless, negligent, aggressive, or impaired driving could result in the loss of your license or even jail time in certain cases. It is advisable, therefore, for anyone facing these or similar allegations in Maryland to retain legal representation as soon as possible. The consequences for these violations may include the following:
- Reckless Driving – 6 points on your driving record, mandatory Driver Improvement Program participation, and suspension of your license. For provisional driver, a first offense may result in a six-month license suspension, and a subsequent offense may result in a 12-month suspension. The criminal penalties include a fine of up to $500.
- Aggressive Driving – A fine of up to $500.
In cases of impaired driving, the consequences depend largely on a person’s driving record, the circumstances regarding the stop, the driver’s level of intoxication, and the intoxicants involved. The state of Maryland takes impaired driving very seriously and imposes strict penalties for those who are caught and found to have been intoxicated.
Hiring a Caroline County Traffic Lawyer
If you are facing a Caroline County traffic violation case, you should talk to an attorney as soon as possible. People who are represented by counsel often receive a much better result than they would have had they proceeded unrepresented. A dedicated Caroline County traffic lawyer will help people facing traffic violation cases move on with their lives as quickly as possible and with the least inconvenience. To schedule a free consultation, call today.