I just got a ticket, what should I do now?
Please see our "options for a ticket". It is our belief that you should, in most cases, contest the ticket to preserve your rights and options in each case. Although each person’s motivations and reasons are different, so after reviewing this site if your question is still not answered, please call the office.
I want to contest a ticket, but I know I did it, should I still contest?
Yes, again it preserves your rights. Just because you agree that you committed the infraction doesn’t necessarily mean you deserve a ticket. In every instance, the prosecution must prove that you committed the infraction. Just because you’re contesting does not mean that you have to testify, or that they can prove their case, so you should still contest.
If I marked “mitigation” on the back of the ticket, can I still contest the ticket?
In the majority of cases your ticket hearing can be changed to a contested hearing. Please let us know at the inception of representation and we can contact the Court and have them change it to a contested hearing.
Do I need to appear at the Court hearing?
When you are represented by an attorney it really depends on the Court, your possible testimony, whether it was an accident and/or whether you were subpoenaed by any party to appear. In most cases, for a simple speeding matter it is not necessary to appear. However, in accident cases, Negligent Driving II and the unique case it is best if the client appears. The real decision factor is a cost benefit analysis that each client will have to make. If it costs you more to miss work, school or some special occasion then it probably is not necessary to appear; however, if you are available and want to see the process or be involved in your case then by all means appear at your hearing. All we ask is that you inform our office, so that if we continue, reset or are running late we can inform you for proper timing.
Do I need an attorney to represent me with my ticket?
Not necessarily, this is an individual decision. By no means is it mandatory. An attorney can give you that extra edge you may need on a procedural issue or you just don’t want to be bothered by having to keep track of everything.
What’s the difference between mitigating and contesting?
Please see discussion in "options for a ticket".
If the Court finds that I committed the infraction, what can I do now?
Sometimes you can still ask for a deferral, or within ten (10) days file a motion to reconsider, or the last option is to appeal, which must be done within thirty (30) days from the hearing date.
Now that I have been advised of the dismissal of a ticket, do I need to do anything more?
No. If your matter was dismissed the Court will reflect that in their docketing system and the matter will not appear on your DOL record. If there were certain conditions that you needed to meet for the dismissal then you obviously need to make sure those conditions are met.
Which Courts does Mr. Greene routinely handle?
Mr. Greene attends Courts in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties except for the following Courts: Lynwood Municipal, Bothell Municipal, Edmonds Municipal, Marysville Municipal, Auburn Municipal, and Algona Municipal. If the Court you are scheduled in is above, please call our office for a referral. Additionally, we go to Whatcom District Court for an additional cost.
Options for a ticket:
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Pay the ticket – This is the worst decision because it means that the infraction will appear on your driving record and your employer and insurance company will have the ability to see it for the next three years, which could adversely affect employment and cost of insurance. Additionally, you will be paying the full price of the ticket.
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Mitigation – This is the second worst decision because this ticket will appear on your record as well; however, the fine associated with the ticket may be reduced at the whim of the Judge. This may be a viable option if it is a non-moving infraction and you don’t care that it will appear on your record.
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Contesting – This is the best decision you could make because it preserves all of your rights! You can always choose any of the other options once you have contested the infraction; although, the same can’t be said if you were to pay the ticket. These can be done in person or sometimes by mail. The results/options are as follows:
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i. Inattentive Driving
ii. Tabs violation
iii. Seatbelt violation
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Winning the ticket, self explanatory.
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Deferral, see (4.) below.
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Traffic School, some Courts will dismiss the infraction upon completion with costs.
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SOC, or rather Stipulated Order of Continuance. Similar to a deferral, sometimes called an informal deferral. Allows you to keep the ticket off your record if you fulfill conditions while having already used, or not used, your deferral.
- Amendments, these are usually where prosecutors are present and we reach an agreement to amend the matter to something that will either not appear on your record or is a non-moving violation and therefore will not affect you.
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Deferral – This is the second best decision you could make. This is a new option available since approximately the year 2000. A deferral is a once in seven (7) year option for both a moving and non-moving violation. If you are willing to pay Court costs of $100-150 and maintain a clean driving record from the date of the hearing until 4-12 months after the hearing and you comply with the conditions set by the Court the matter will never appear on your driving record and will be dismissed. However, the deal is, if you obtain another ticket during the deferral period and that matter stays on your record, you lose the original deferral and have to pay the original fine on the ticket to the Court. As a result, I would caution against this initially, because each Court is different and has different eligibility requirements and conditions. It is probably best to use this option sparingly.
What are pre-hearing conferences?
The main courts that use this option are: Seattle Municipal, Des Moines Municipal, Kent Municipal, and Kent District Court. These are the pre-dates before the contested date. They are scheduled to allow the Court and Prosecutor to minimize the cases that go to trial by resolving them early at the pre-hearing. The usual resolution is mitigation or deferral, which is why we waive this hearing and set the matters for contested hearings. This gives us an opportunity to review the case more fully and then reach a resolution at the contested hearing if necessary.
