Ticket Defense Lawyers In Garland

If you have been issued a ticket in Garland and are looking for sound legal advice on how to protect your criminal record, this page is intended to help you make an informed decision on what steps to take.  It is important to understand that different tickets can have ranging impacts on a person’s life.  For example, an assault family violence ticket can impact a person’s employment and housing opportunities.  Traffic related tickets can impact a person’s insurance rates, driving privileges and driving record.  There a multitude of varying class “c” tickets that can be issued by a Garland police officer.  Each case must be handled based on the specific facts of that individual case.  If you would like to discuss your individual Garland case after reading this page, please feel free to contact us at 214-321-4105.

Is A Garland Ticket Considered a Crime?

The short answer is yes.  If you have been issued a ticket in Garland and it is now pending in either the justice of the peace court precinct 2-1 or Garland Municipal Court, then that ticket is considered a class “c” misdemeanor under Texas law. Class “c” misdemeanors are considered the lowest offense crime in Texas.  However, that does not mean that they can’t have a huge impact on a person’s life.  For example imagine losing your license due to a traffic ticket conviction.  This happens to many Texans across the state each month.  Further, imagine being fired due to a ticket for assault family violence or for possession of drug paraphernalia.  These situations also occur across the State of Texas on a regular basis.  The key is understanding that your criminal record must be defended from any and all offenses regardless of how low they are on the crime ladder.

What Happens After A Ticket Is Issued in Garland

Once a ticket is issued, you have a certain number of days in which to contact the court and enter your plea.  We have three separate pleas in Texas.  Those three pleas are (1) Guilty (2) Not Guilty and (3) No Contest.  In most cases, if you hire a lawyer, they will enter a plea of “not guilty” on your behalf before your appearance date to avoid having the case go into warrant or go past due.

Once your attorney enters an appearance on your behalf, the court will give that attorney a new court date referred to as a pretrial hearing.  It will be the responsibility of your lawyer to attend this hearing for you.  In most cases, you will not need to appear unless it is an assault family violence charge.  The attorney will then determine if the case can be dismissed based upon a legal reason.  These legal reasons normally are based on violations of your constitutional rights to procedural due process.  They have very little to do with the facts of your case.  An example of this is when the officer has failed to swear under oath and file a complaint alleging that they either (1) witnessed you violating the law or (2) determined through investigation that you violated the law.  If this document is not filed timely then it could lead to a dismissal.

If your case is not dismissed based upon a legal reason, then the lawyer will normally enter into an agreement with the prosecutor that protects your record from a conviction.  This deal may require your cooperation in paying any fees related to the agreement and/or agreeing not to get issued any further citations.  This can sometimes be referred to as “deferred adjudication.”

Hire An Attorney For Tickets In Garland

The main point of this article is to help you understand the basic mechanics of ticket defense in Garland.  However, it is always best to discuss your individual facts and circumstances with an experienced lawyer.  Every case is unique and can require a special game plan to help assist in the protection of a person’s record.   That is why we encourage to discuss your tickets with an attorney today.  If you would like to consult a lawyer about your tickets in Garland, call 214-321-4105 and we will be glad to assist you.