Traffic offenses are one area where it is very easy to make assumptions that aren’t necessarily true.

While many traffic offenses are relatively minor, non jailable offenses, they can still have a great impact on your life. Almost all traffic violations, even those classified as “minor misdemeanors”, carry at least 2 points on your driving record. If you accumulate 12 points in a 2 year period, your license will be suspended for 6 months. Even speeding tickets can result in a license suspension if you get into points trouble, or if the Judge makes a finding of recklessness in your driving. While there are often other options available to the Court, you need experienced counsel to deal with your case effectively.

When the issue involves driving without a license, or with a suspended license, the majority of the time the judge is most interested is seeing the client become validly licensed. That can involve a number of different steps, depending on the situation. Sometimes the problem is simply an unpaid ticket or fee owed to the BMV. Proof of insurance is often an issue. In certain types of suspensions a remedial class may be required. When your ability to drive is on the line, you need the experience of an attorney who has seen and dealt with a wide variety of situations.

In other cases, the issue may be avoiding a license suspension. This is where knowledge of the individual court’s policies is crucial. Even though the Municipal Courts all enforce the same laws, there is some variation in the way they are handled. Traffic cases may also be handled in the Federal Magistrate’s Court, if you are stopped in federal property or roads that abut federal property. This Court is an interesting mix of federal procedural law and state substantive law, and requires a different approach in most cases. I am not only licensed in the Federal Court for the Southern District of Ohio, but I have handled over one hundred traffic cases there. In any traffic case, it’s important to know the not only the current status of your license, but the effect that the charge is likely to have upon it.

Mike Booher has handled literally thousands of traffic cases in the municipal Courts of Montgomery, Clark, Greene, Warren, and Butler counties. Call The Booher Law Firm for a consultation if you have any questions.