Can one traffic ticket resolution business get a better deal then the others?

Traffic Ticket Answers - Las Vegas, Nevada
Originally published on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at ETrafficCitation.com.

In my opinion, the short answer is no. However, see my blog entry dated August 1, 2008 discussing non own traffic citation resolution businesses bidding down assistance of an attorney. I may get better results. With that, your decision as to which traffic citation ticket business in Las Vegas you request assistance gets down to the price you are willing to pay for assistance. Starting at $45.00 at ETrafficCitation.com, or pay the common teaser rate of $75.00 (actual fees are likely to be more).

Generally speaking, traffic citation resolutions services are just for convenience to save you time and money. See discussion below HOW TRAFFIC CITATIONS ARE RESOLVED. Do the math, multiply your hourly rate of pay times the estimated hours you will spend addressing your traffic citation. Be sure to add in your parking (that is if you don’t use the free parking at the hotels near the courts in downtown Las Vegas) and the cost of gas. Considering travel time to and from court, wait time at the court and appearance in court, you could easily spend 4-5 hours.

Be aware of the sales pitch that an attorney can find an error in the traffic citation, and possibly get it dismissed. While I agree that sometimes an error exists in a traffic citation that is so fatal that it is dismissed. But those times are rare, especially with the new computerized citations. This sales pitch is many times conflated to make a sale.

Hearsay says that some courts are inclined to order driving school to people who represent themselves. Generally, when I represent someone, driving school is not in play. By the way this is likely the same for all traffic citation resolution businesses. If a more severe violation is in play such as reckless driving, aggressive driving, etc., driving school will likely be ordered.

HOW TRAFFIC CITATIONS ARE RESOLVED
When I appear for someone on a traffic citation, I generally sit in a room with other attorneys waiting to argue, discuss or negotiate your traffic citation. Depending upon the court I am in, I will speak to a judge, a city attorney, or a district attorney. Sometimes I appear via fax (so do the other businesses). Regardless, the judge or the attorney offers a deal (usually according to a matrix - each jurisdiction has its own) that is for the most part set in stone. For example - speed 1-10 over, the offer is $X.XX and illegal parking (See my June 22, 2008 blog entry regarding demerits vs. violation description). If the attorney does not accept the offer, then the matter is set for trial. Practically speaking, rarely, if ever, will an attorney not accept the offer because it does not make sense to take a 1-10 over speeding citation to trial. The attorney fees to you will likely pay will exceed the fine saved if you win the trial. You get the picture.

If the fines for all violations added to an amount greater than $300.00 I usually ask for 90 days to pay, or request that my client be placed on a payment plan of $100-$150 per month. Most courts allow payment plans. Some court payment plans are more lenient than others. Some courts asses fees for the plans that are astoundingly expensive. I have seen payment plan costs of up to 25% of the fine.

All of this with the usually result of all violations are reduced to illegal parking (a nonmoving violation - you want this because the DMV will not assess demerits), with a fine, and 60 days, 90 days or a payment plan.