Plano Ticket Attorney

Plano Ticket Lawyer

Nobody enjoys getting a ticket for any reason.  However, if you have found yourself dealing with a citation out of Plano Municipal Court or Justice of The Peace Precinct 3 in Collin County, you want to make sure that you protect your record from being substantially harmed by the violation.  This page is intended to help those that have been issued a ticket in Plano, Texas and are trying to make the best decision to help protect their permanent records.  If you would like to discuss your ticket in Plano with our legal professionals, please feel free to contact our office at 214-321-4105.

How Long Do You Have To Contact The Court?

After you have been issued a ticket in Plano, you normally want to contact the court within 10 days of the offense date.  Some courts will allow more time than this, but the best bet is to not wait longer than 10 days to make sure that the case does not go past due or is placed into warrant status.  Warrants can cause fees to up that may be owed to the court as well as increase attorney’s fees to compensate for the cost of having to post an appearance bond to remove any warrants that were pending.

This initial contact with the court is usually referred to as your appearance date.  Normally, it must be made either (1) in person or (2) by mail.  Phone calls to the court will not usually constitute an appearance.

How To Satisfy Your Appearance Date Requirement

The appearance date is simply a way to let the court know that you intend to resolve your case.  The purpose of the appearance date is to inform the court how you would like to proceed.  In most cases you will be asked that very question.  How would you like to take care of the ticket?  Under no circumstance should a person elect to just pay the ticket off when they make their initial appearance.  Simply paying the ticket off with nothing more will cause a permanent conviction on that person’s record.  This could cause loss of employment and loss of housing opportunities for some types of violations (e.g. assault family violence cases, theft, drug paraphernalia).  Paying off a ticket can also cause driver license suspensions, higher insurance rates, etc.

The safest method is to enter a plea of “not guilty” and request a pretrial hearing.  This hearing will allow you or your lawyer to review the case with a prosecutor to determine what your options are to successfully resolve the case without it impacting your permanent record.

Defending Your Record At The Pretrial Hearing

The goal in most cases is to protect your driving record, insurance rates and/or criminal record from any permanent conviction.  Some cases are harder than others to accomplish this based on the particular facts and history of that case.  If a case is not dismissed at the pretrial hearing and an offer is given to protect your record, in most cases an attorney will accept this offer if it is reasonable.  This deal may require you to complete certain conditions and pay some type of fee to court.  These deals are sometimes referred to as deferral agreements.

Not every case can be deferred.  If a case cannot be deferred, normally the attorney will reset your case to discuss trial options with you.  Sometimes trials are necessary to continue to fight for your innocence if a prosecutor is unwilling or unable to offer you a deal that would keep your record clear.

Types of Cases That Can Be Filed In Plano Municipal Court

There are many different types of cases that can be filed in Plano Municipal Court that are not traffic related.  Some examples of the types of class “c” misdemeanors that can be filed in Plano, Texas are listed below.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION:  Public intoxication cases are one of the more common types of class “c” misdemeanors filed in Plano Municipal Court that aren’t traffic related.  Plano, Texas has a vibrant restaurant and bar scene where Plano Police Department are called to enforce laws associated with the consumption of alcohol.  Public intoxication charges are premised on the presumption of the officer that a person is under the influence of alcohol in a public place and is a danger to themselves or another.  If this can be established, then the person is considered “guilty” of the offense of public intoxication.  There are many defenses that can be used to combat a public intoxication charge.  We highly suggest that if you have been arrested or charged with a public intoxication charge in Plano, Texas to call our defense lawyers today.

 

 

 

DRUG PARAPHERNALIA:  Drug paraphernalia charges are more and more common due to the fact that officers are less likely to file possession cases against people for minimal amounts of marijuana.  However, the issue with paraphernalia tickets in Plano Municipal Court is the fact that employers, etc. cannot tell the difference between a drug paraphernalia charge for heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana.  On a background search, they all look the same.  For this reason it is important to keep a drug paraphernalia charge off your record to protect your job and future opportunities.

 

 

 

ASSAULT & AND ASSAULT FAMILY VIOLENCE: The most concerning of all class “c” misdemeanors are the assault charges.  These charges, especially when filed as a “family violence” charge can impact housing, employment and the right to carry firearms in Texas.  For that reason, we suggest you contact an assault family violence defense lawyer immediately to begin fighting the charge.  Once the charge is dismissed, you need to take the extra step of expunging the records to have them destroyed.  Our Plano defense attorneys can help you with this process.  Give our office today to discuss your assault ticket in Plano.

Hire a Lawyer For A Ticket In Plano

If you would like to discuss your particular ticket in Plano with a legal professional to determine all of your options, we would be glad to talk with you.  Simply call 214-321-4105 and we can begin meaningful discussions regarding your case and reasonable possibilities to protect your record.  We look forward to talking with you.