Washington State Speeding Ticket

When you receive your Washington State speeding ticket the officer will tell you if it is a mandatory court appearance or if you can pay your fine by mail with a money order. A mandatory court appearance means you have committed a serious offense and need to contact a Washington State traffic attorney for advice. Generally it is best to contest any traffic ticket but that is your decision and depends on your record and whether the Washington State speeding ticket will increase your insurance premiums.

In general, most courts in Washington State do not allow traffic school to keep a speeding ticket off your record so that is not an option. If you are a good driver with no violations, you may want to consider paying the fine and taking a deferment. This is an option allowed by Washington State Law. Whether you will be granted a deferment is left completely to the discretion of the judge. If you do not receive another speeding ticket for a period of time (usually one year, the original ticket will not be reported on your MVR. This can backfire if you receive another ticket in the one year period since they will both be on your record with a corresponding major auto insurance rate increase. You can only take a deferment once every seven years so you may want to save this option for a serious violation. If you appear in court, the judge is likely to reduce the ticket and we always recommend that you at least appear in court, even for minor speeding tickets.

If you decide to contest your ticket start by researching the exact statute of the violation. The statute number is on the ticket. If it is a state statute you can find it at Washington State speeding ticket laws. If it is a county or city ordinance contact the court or local library. You may need to obtain a copy of your driving record from the DMV. Often judges will be lenient if you produce a clean driving record. Contact your insurance agent if you need to know how much this ticket is likely to effect your insurance premiums. If you drive a company car or have insurance coverage with certain carriers a speeding ticket of 10+ over the limit can be a serious matter.

Should you hire a Washington State speeding ticket attorney to fight your speeding ticket? How to fight a speeding ticket is purely an economic decision that only you can make. It is a fact your insurance company will raise your rates depending on your MVR. Employers often check an applicants driving record and several speeding tickets can cost you that new position or even get you fired from your present job. Speeding tickets remain on your record for three years so you need to evaluate the three year cost of additonal insurance premiums against the cost of an attorney. A Washington attorney normally charges between $250 and $400 for a speeding violation and the chances of a reduction are excellent depending on your particular circumstances

Washington State Traffic Court

You may wish to check the recent court rules relating to infractions. Washington State Traffic Court Rules. These are the rules that the officer, the prosecutor, the court and you must follow in infraction cases. Some courts have local infraction rules as well.

You have fifteen days to pay the Washington State speeding ticket or notify the court you wish to appear. If you decide to appear, you may request a mitigation hearing or a trial. The ticket is considered a determination you committed the violation and no further evidence is necessary to convict you of the charge. Unless you have a very good defense, you will lose. If you do not have a Washing State attorney, your best option may be to negotiate with the judge for a reduced charge at a mitigation hearing. There is no prosecutor and the officer does not have to appear.
In Washington State the officer is not required to attend the hearing. However he is required to file a written report and he or she is required to file the citation with the court within five business days. You can check with the clerk of court to see when your speeding ticket was filed with the court and whether his/her report is on file.

The new law requires the judge to dismiss the Washington State speeding ticket if it is not filed within the five day limit. However, you will have to appear and make a motion for dismissal.

Washington State Speeding Ticket Attorneys

Eastern Washington State Attorney

If you need to consult a Washington State lawyer on a traffic ticket or any other matter, we highly recommend Mr. Patrick Earl. He is experienced in CDL truck driver issues and understands how important it is for a trucker to maintain a clean driving record. Please mention this site when you call for an immediate response.

Patrick Earl
Attorney at Law
1334 S. Pioneer Way
Moses Lake, WA 98837
509-765-1705 office
509-765-6488 fax
509-750-9921 cell
patearl@nwi.net

Patrick practices only in Grant, Adams, Douglas, Chelan, Lincoln, Spokane, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima Counties.

Seattle Traffic Ticket Attorney

Western Washington State Lawyer

If you need to consult a Washington State attorney on a traffic ticket matter in Western Washington, we highly recommend Donaldson & Knigge out of Seattle. Lisa Donaldson has been handling infractions for over 9 years and has an excellent record of success. Donaldson & Knigge offers a free phone consultation and charges a flat fee of $275.00 for most infractions in King, Pierce or Snohomish counties. Rates for other Western Washington counties are slightly higher. Mention our web site and they will reduce your fee to $265.00.
Lisa Donaldson
Donaldson & Knigge
210 Summit Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102
206-329-4025 office
206-915-7950 cell
lisadonaldson@seattletrafficlawyer.com
Seattle Washington State Speeding Ticket Attorney
Donaldson & Knigge focus on King Pierce and Snohomish counties, however, they do work in all parts of Western Washington.

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Washington State Auto Insurance

Insurance companies use your drivers license report and your credit report in deciding what they are going to charge you for auto insurance. Have a few tickets or bad credit and you will be paying more.

One way to be sure that you are getting the best deal on auto insurance is to shop around. If you think you are paying too much or just want to be sure that your current company is not ripping you off, we recommend the following site.

The answer to those Washington State red light camera tickets.

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