You’re not alone if you recently got a speeding ticket violation in Mecklenburg County. Let’s face it—many of us occasionally speed and get caught by the police. However, you shouldn’t make the mistake some drivers do by simply pleading guilty and paying the fine. Our experienced Charlotte traffic ticket lawyers can help you fight the charges and may be able to get them dismissed—even if you know you were speeding. 

How to Get Your Speeding Ticket Dismissed in Charlotte

If you’re like many of our clients, you might not realize that our attorneys may be able to get your ticket dismissed. Here are common defenses we can use to fight your moving violation:

• Not speeding. A strong defense, if true, is that you weren’t speeding. This defense may be most effective if the officer claims you were going a few miles over the speed limit. You may need to challenge their radar gun’s accuracy to prove this defense.
• Radar gun inaccuracies. The police in Mecklenburg County use radar guns to determine drivers’ speeds. We may be able to argue that radar picked up another nearby vehicle’s speed or that it was inaccurate because it wasn’t calibrated or maintained properly.
• Your speedometer. If you don’t believe your speedometer is working correctly, you could have your speedometer calibrated to prove this defense. However, calibrations are expensive, so you should discuss this option with our traffic ticket lawyers before getting it done.
• GPS. If your GPS shows you were going at a slower speed, our legal team can raise the GPS defense to fight your speeding ticket. We would need the GPS report showing your speed and proof that your GPS is accurate.
• Procedural and constitutional issues. We may determine that law enforcement didn’t follow the correct procedures when issuing your speeding ticket or violated your constitutional rights, such as failing to have probable cause to stop you. If so, we may be able to use these defenses to exclude the evidence being used against you and get the speeding ticket dismissed.
• Necessity. In rare cases, you may be able to show you had a compelling reason, such as driving someone with a life-threatening emergency to the hospital, that justified exceeding the speed limit.

If our traffic ticket attorneys cannot get the speeding ticket dismissed, we may be able to use your defenses as leverage to convince the prosecutor to enter into a favorable plea agreement where you’re issued a much less serious traffic violation. We may also be able to request a Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC), where you plead guilty, but no judgment is entered against you, or present mitigating factors to convince the judge to reduce the penalties you face.  

Why Fighting Your Speeding Ticket Matters

You may think paying the speeding ticket may be less expensive when considering the cost of hiring an attorney. However, our traffic ticket lawyers will help you achieve better results than if you plead guilty, which saves you money long after your criminal case is over. 

Here are just a few reasons why your best option is to fight your speeding ticket with our assistance:

• Related offense expenses. You would owe hefty fines and court costs if you plead guilty and pay the speeding ticket.
• Driver’s license points. One hidden cost of a speeding ticket is that the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles will assess one to five points on your driving record, depending on the speeding ticket issued. 
• Possibly losing your license. Your driver’s license may be suspended if you’re found guilty of: 
  
  
  • Driving over 15 mph over the posted speed limit.
  • Traveling over 55 mph.
  • Speeding in excess of 80 mph.

         In addition, your license could be suspended if you acquire too many points in a relatively short time.

• Increased insurance costs. With every violation, you’ll accrue insurance points on your record as well. These drastically raise your auto insurance premiums for years after you pay your speeding ticket. For example, a one-point assessment can increase your insurance premiums by 30%, and if three points are assessed, you could have to pay 60% or more in premiums.

Throughout your criminal case, Browning & Long’s savvy traffic ticket lawyers will work hard to achieve the best outcome for you and will explain all options so you can make the best decisions for your life.