There are two different kinds of traffic tickets for which obtaining experienced legal counsel is strongly recommended: civil infractions and misdemeanors. For Bloomfield Hills Michigan civil infractions and misdemeanor traffic offenses, the cases are resolved at the 48th District Court which is located at 4280 Telegraph Road in the city of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302.
Civil infractions are essentially tickets issued by police officers for alleged driving violations such as running a red light, speeding, improper turn, etc., which are non-criminal in nature and you have the option of resolving by making a timely payment of the scheduled fine. The problem with addressing the traffic ticket by simply paying the scheduled fine is that points are usually assessed (depending upon the nature of the ticket), and the violation in most cases becomes permanently affixed to your driving history even though the points go away with time. Having traffic violations affixed to your driving record can lead to much higher insurance rates, losing driving privileges altogether for a period of time (if you acquire too many points), potential employment issues (if your job requires driving), and the reduction of the chances of a police officer cutting you a break for traffic stops that occur in the future.
Traffic misdemeanors are lower level criminal offenses for alleged conduct such as Open Intoxicants, Drinking and Driving (OUI, DUI, Super Drunk), Driving While License Suspended (DWLS), Reckless Driving, Failure to Stop at a Property Damage Accident, etc., which require an appearance in Court before a Judge to address the charge. Traffic misdemeanors can result in negative long lasting consequences such as having a permanent criminal record, jail, probation with strict conditions, driver’s license sanctions (for some offenses), and damage to your reputation.
There are several felony related traffic matters for offenses such as OUIL 3rd Offense, OUIL Causing Serious Injury or Death, Receiving and Concealing a Stolen Motor Vehicle, Fleeing and Eluding Police, etc., which are charged in most cases with the filing of a complaint by the prosecutor’s office with jurisdiction over the case (after a swear to occurs before a Judge) and not by a issuing a ticket. Traffic felonies can result in many negative consequences such as having a permanent criminal record, a jail or prison sentence, probation with severe conditions, driver’s license sanctions, and damage to your reputation. It goes without saying that a felony traffic offense requires zealous representation from an aggressive, diligent, and experienced felony traffic defense lawyer. Felony related traffic charges that allegedly occur in Bloomfield Hills are initially scheduled at the 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills, and are transferred (“bound over”) to the 6th Circuit Court in Pontiac if a probable cause determination is made at a preliminary examination or a waiver or the same.
With any traffic violation – civil infraction, misdemeanor, or felony – you have the absolute Constitutional right to hire the lawyer of your choice to contest it. For civil infractions you have the right (if you make a timely demand) to a contested hearing in Court to challenge whether or not it was established by the prosecution/police by a preponderance of the evidence that the alleged civil infraction occurred. The hearing scheduled is either an “informal hearing” (which takes place in front of a Court magistrate, and does not involve lawyers) or a “formal hearing” (where lawyers are involved to either negotiate or litigate the ticket, and in many cases a better result can be reached through that legal representation).
For all misdemeanor and felony accusations, you have guaranteed Constitutional rights and protections such as the right to a trial by jury or by Judge (if the prosecution and Judge agree to a bench trial). A bad choice, when it comes to any misdemeanor or felony traffic criminal offense, is to choose to have no legal counsel and to represent yourself. Someone who self represents is at an unbelievable disadvantage because the Court will hold them to the same standards as a lawyer, and they are opposed by a prosecutor or city attorney who has many years of training and vast experience in the rules of evidence, criminal procedure, Michigan law, direct and cross examination of witnesses, and conducting a trial. You can request a court appointed lawyer for all criminal accusations if you are too indigent to retain your own lawyer, and hope that they are zealous and dedicated enough to fight for the right result, or choose to hire a highly rated lawyer, like attorney Daniel Hilf, who truly has your best interests at heart.
For any civil infraction, misdemeanor, or felony traffic offense for a Bloomfield Hills Michigan charge, the recommended traffic lawyer is Daniel Hilf, because he has extensive experience practicing before the three Judges and magistrates of the 48th District Court. Attorney Daniel Hilf is from the respected law firm of Hilf & Hilf, PLC with a conveniently located office at 3155 W Big Beaver Rd #123 in the city of Troy, Michigan 48084 (between Crooks Road and Coolidge Highway, approximately a quarter mile east of Somerset Mall), who you can contact to discuss ticket situation today.