HOW WILL YOUR OFFICE HANDLE MY TRAFFIC TICKET?

We will first try to get your ticket Dismissed on a Legal Technicality. There are a number of ways to beat your ticket on a legal technicality. The lawyers at my office have an extensive checklist that they use for each case to make sure that every rule was followed. When a rule was not followed a lawyer will argue to the Judge that the ticket should be dismissed. Most of the time the ticket will be dismissed on a legal technicality and will not appear on your driving record.

If there are no legal technicalities for my office to argue, a lawyer will determine which of the following options is best for you:

• Petition the Court for a Deferred Finding. Under Washington law a person is entitled to one Deferred Finding every seven years. Usually the terms of the deferral are: you do not commit any other traffic infractions over the next twelve month period; you pay the court a fee (my office will pay this fee); and some courts require a traffic safety class. If each of the requirements is met, the ticket will be dismissed and will not affect your driving record.
• Negotiate with Prosecutor for a Stipulated Order of Continuance. A Stipulated Order of Continuance is an agreement between you and the Prosecutor where the case is continued for an agreed amount of time, usually one year. During the continuance you must not get anymore traffic tickets, you must pay a fee (my office will pay this fee), and you may be required to take a traffic safety class. If each of the requirements is met, the ticket will be dismissed and will not affect your driving record.
• Negotiate with the Prosecutor for an amendment of the ticket to a nonmoving violation. The Prosecutor has the ability to amend your ticket to a nonmoving violation. A nonmoving violation shouldn’t affect your insurance rates. My office will pay any fees that are incurred.
• Hold a contested hearing on your behalf. We will hold a contested hearing only if there is no other way to keep the ticket off of your driving record. This is because the standard for a finding that you have committed the infraction is very low once a hearing is begun.

Please call the office and speak with a lawyer if you have any questions about how your case will be defended.