Charles County Traffic Attorney
A Charles County traffic lawyer can help clients who are facing serious traffic charges in the state of Maryland. Be sure to call our law offices today and complete your free initial consultation.
Many drivers consider speeding tickets and other types of traffic violations to be an unavoidable part of driving and a minor annoyance. In reality, however, certain traffic violations can have serious legal consequences, even for first-time offenses, and even minor violations have the potential to accumulate and result in significant sanctions. The potential penalties associated with Charles County, Maryland, traffic violations include significant fines, increased insurance rates, the suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, and even jail time.
In light of these possible legal consequences, it is important for people accused of violating Maryland traffic laws to discuss their situation with an experienced Charles County traffic attorney as soon as they can. An experienced attorney can often reduce the potential legal consequences you are facing, and in some cases may even be able to have the case against you completely dropped.
Charles County Traffic Law Enforcement
As part of the Washington Metropolitan Area, Charles County has significant traffic volume as well as its fair share of commuters who are traveling through from place to place along the Eastern Seaboard. There are several incorporated municipalities in Charles County, including Indian Head, La Plata, and Port Tobacco Village. A significant portion of the population in Charles County lives in Waldorf, an unincorporated community that is sometimes referred to as a “commuter town” for people who work in DC. As a result of the large number of commuters, the roads are often congested, giving law enforcement ample opportunity to find people who are in violation of various traffic laws. Some of the more commonly issued citations in Charles County are following:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Driving under the influence
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Failure to observe a traffic signal
- Following too closely
- Unsafe lane changing
- Improper lane usage
- Failure to signal
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to yield when required
- Driving without a license
- Driving an uninsured vehicle
- Driving without a seatbelt
These are just some of the potential violations for which a person may be cited while driving in Charles County. The legal consequences depend largely on the specific circumstances, so anyone facing a traffic violation case in Charles County should be certain to discuss their case with an experienced Charles County traffic lawyer as soon as possible.
Categories of Traffic Violations in Charles County, Maryland
In Maryland, traffic violations fall into one of two broad categories: “payable” and “must appear.” As these names would indicate, payable violations are payable by mail or online and do not require a court appearance, while “must appear” violations require the accused to appear in court. While it may be tempting for people who receive a citation for a payable violation to simply pay it and move on with their lives, this is very often not the best course of action. It is extremely important for people facing a traffic violation case to understand that simply paying their ticket is an admission of guilt, and that the traffic offense will appear on their driving record. This can result in the accumulation of points, which can result in the loss of your driving privileges as well as significantly increasing your insurance premiums. In some cases, the presence of a traffic violation on your record could result in the inability to secure certain types of employment as well as the loss or denial of certain types of licenses. Fortunately, a Charles County traffic attorney may be able to help keep any such violation off of your record and ensure that the ticket you received does not have any long-term effects on your life.
“Must appear” violations involve more serious offenses, such as driving a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent or driving without a license. In these cases, a jail term is authorized as punishment for the violation in addition to other consequences, such as fines. As a result, it is highly advisable for anyone facing a traffic violation for which they must appear in court to retain the services of an experienced Charles County traffic lawyer immediately.
Contact a Charles County Traffic Attorney
If you have received any kind of traffic charge in Charles County, Maryland, contacting a Charles County traffic lawyer should be your first step. A traffic lawyer in Charles County will be able to look at the specific facts surrounding your offense and help minimize the amount of harm done. Due to the potentially negative impact a traffic charge can have on your license, it’s important that you call as soon as possible.