Grand Prairie Ticket Lawyer
Paying Off Old Tickets
214-321-4105
The Beltz Law Firm
Many people each day choose to do the “right thing” by simply paying off their traffic tickets in Grand Prairie. Some justify this action by thinking that there is no reason to contest the ticket because they were “guilty” so why fight it? Before 2003, this may have been a good method. However, under the current law a person can get themselves into very serious legal trouble by having this viewpoint. The laws are increasingly monetizing court systems. Texas is one of the most conservative and heavy handed states in the union and the driving laws are no exception. DPS has been granted broad authority to collect revenue in the form of surcharge penalties and driver’s license suspensions for those drivers who are deemed to be “high risk” drivers. This article is intended to outline some of the laws and punishments that apply to traffic ticket convictions in an effort to help you understand that just paying off a ticket regardless of whether or not it has gone into warrant is the absolute worst possible way to resolve a traffic ticket in Grand Prairie. If you would like to discuss your Grand Prairie traffic tickets with an experienced lawyer in your area contact our office today.
Payment Of Tickets and Convictions
Lets be quite clear. Payment of a traffic ticket without anything more is the equivalent of being convicted at a trial for the offense you paid. The authority for this is located in the Code of Criminal Procedure and states the following:
- (c) In a misdemeanor case for which the maximum possible punishment is by fine only, payment of a fine or an amount accepted by the court constitutes a finding of guilty in open court as though a plea of nolo contendere had been entered by the defendant and constitutes a waiver of a jury trial in writing.
Convictions are then required to be reported by Grand Prairie Municipal Court to The Department of Public Safety. Depending on the reported conviction DPS can take any of the following actions:
The only party that wins when traffic tickets are simply paid by the defendant is Grand Prairie Municipal Court. You have basically made their life easier by not having to prove the case and give you a deal to keep the violation from going on your permanent record. You are then left picking up the pieces by possibly being arrested for driving while license invalid or being required to obtain an occupational license and paying annual surcharges to DPS.
Tickets are no longer a minor transaction that does not have to be taken seriously. Every traffic ticket In Grand Prairie must be handled with care. Take care in the way you choose to resolve your traffic tickets by contacting a traffic ticket attorney in Grand Prairie today.
