While traffic tickets may not have as severe consequences as other criminal charges, the financial costs and restrictions can quickly add up. For out-of-state drivers – including visitors from Indiana and Illinois – challenging a traffic offense personally can be even more inconvenient and expensive. For commercial drivers and over-the-road truckers, the points resulting from even a single ticket can threaten your license and your livelihood. In all these cases, you will need a skilled traffic defense attorney to negotiate on your behalf and protect your driving privileges.

Traffic Tickets and Misdemeanor Charges

Michigan’s traffic laws work differently than other Midwest states. Some are classified as criminal offenses – misdemeanors and felonies – while others are civil infractions. Some offenses will result in mandatory license suspensions and/or denial or revocation of driving privileges, while others carry heavy fines and reinstatement fees. Depending on how serious the offense is, traffic violations could result in:

• Fines and costs
• Probation
• Jail time
• Mandatory license suspension
• Reinstatement costs

Additionally, Michigan employs a point system for the commission of certain traffic offenses. For example, your Michigan driver’s license will be assessed:

• 4 points for 16+ miles per hour over the speed limit
• 3 points for careless driving or 11+ miles per hour over the speed limit
• 2 points for 10 or less miles per hour over the speed limit and other moving violations

When a traffic violation results in an injury accident, any admission of responsibility could have consequences far beyond the traffic court. At the Peter J. Johnson Law Office, we understand how paying a traffic ticket or entering a guilty plea could interact with your other legal concerns.

We will be certain you know the short and long-term effects of any final agreement you make with the prosecuting attorney before moving forward.

Criminal and Traffic Convictions Have Driving Consequences

As points accumulate on your driver’s license you could find yourself paying more for Michigan’s mandatory no-fault auto insurance. If you accumulate too many points in a two-year period, your driving privileges could even be suspended. Other criminal convictions, like drunk driving or drug offenses, also have mandatory license consequences that result in the loss of your driving privileges. Once that happens, it can take years (and hundreds of dollars) to restore your license and get you back behind the wheel.

Defending Your Commercial Driver’s License

Commercial drivers, over-the-road (OTR) truckers, and even taxi drivers face even more far-reaching legal and financial consequences. OTR drivers also face a number of additional restrictions and regulations based on what they are carrying, how much it weighs, and how well they or their employer maintain their vehicles. Even a small number of points from these violations can threaten your commercial driver’s license and your livelihood.

At the Peter J. Johnson Law Office, we know how important it is to avoid publicly reported citations. We also know the inconvenience of having to deal with a traffic ticket in a state you only occasionally pass through, and the challenges truckers face trying to coordinate their schedules for a court appearance in a state sometimes hundreds of miles away. Our attorneys will work with you over the phone and in your absence to reduce or dismiss your charges without you having to ever appear in court.