There are two basic types of traffic tickets that are issued by local police and Michigan State troopers in Grosse Pointe, Michigan: civil infractions and misdemeanors. For any ticket, it is strongly recommended that you obtain the legal services of a qualified traffic defense lawyer.
Civil infractions in the Grosse Pointe area are issued by police officer, the Wayne County deputies, and Michigan State troopers for alleged violations of traffic laws such as: Limited Access Speed, Speeding, making an Improper Turn, Disobeying a Traffic Control Device (running a red light), 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 just paying the fine to the Court before the deadline and not fighting the ticket is that points are usually assessed for the traffic violation (depending upon the nature of the ticket), and the violation in most cases becomes permanently entered (abstracted) onto your driving record even though the points go away with time. Having traffic violations entered (abstracted) against you can lead to a noticeable increase in the cost of your car insurance, losing driving privileges altogether for a period of time (if you obtain too many points), employment/job issues (if your job requires a clean driving record), and the reduction of the possibility that law enforcement will give you a break for traffic stops that may occur in the future.
Traffic misdemeanors are low level criminal offenses for alleged conduct such as Drinking and Driving (OUI, DUI, OWI, DWI, Super Drunk, Zero Tolerance Violation, OUI 2nd Offense), Open Intoxicants in a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Driving While License Suspended (DWLS), Failure to Stop at a Property Damage Accident, etc., which require an appearance before a Judge to address the specified misdemeanor. Traffic misdemeanors can result in problematic long lasting consequences such as receiving a jail sentence, being placed on probation with conditions (drug and alcohol testing, counseling, fines/costs, community service, etc.), driver’s license sanctions (for some offenses), damage to your reputation, and having a permanent criminal record that in many cases cannot ever be expunged.
There are several felony related traffic matters for offenses such as Unlawfully Driving Away an Automobile (UDAA), OUIL 3rd Offense, Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle, and 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 the issuance of a traffic ticket. Traffic felonies can result in many life altering consequences such as serving a jail or prison sentence, being placed on probation with conditions (drug and alcohol testing, counseling, fines/costs, community service, etc.), driver’s license sanctions, damage to your reputation, and having a conviction that cannot be expunged in the future. Because s felony traffic accusation requires experienced and aggressive representation from a dedicated felony traffic defense attorney, the wise decision is to hire a lawyer to represent you.
If you receive any traffic violation (civil infraction, misdemeanor, or felony) you have the opportunity and the right to retain a lawyer to contest it. If you make a timely demand for your civil infraction (before a “default” is entered by the Court with jurisdiction over the civil infraction), you have the right to a contested hearing in Court to challenge whether or not it was established by a preponderance of the evidence that the alleged civil infraction occurred. The hearing scheduled is one of two different types: an “informal hearing” (which does not involve lawyers – only yourself, the police officer/Michigan State trooper, and the Court magistrate or Judge); or a “formal hearing” (where lawyers are involved to either litigate or negotiate (attempt to plea bargain) the ticket in Court).
For all misdemeanor and felony charges, you have important rights that cannot be denied, such as the right to a contested trial where the prosecution has the sole burden of proving his or her case at trial beyond a reasonable doubt with competent evidence. An extremely bad decision when it comes to any misdemeanor or felony traffic criminal allegation is to represent yourself in Court without the guidance, support, and defense of legal counsel. Someone who chooses not to have an experienced, dedicated, and diligent attorney is at a complete and severe disadvantage because the Court will hold them to the same standards as an attorney, and they are opposed by an assistant prosecutor or city attorney who has many years of training and experience in the Michigan rules of evidence, Michigan criminal procedure, Michigan case and statutory law, direct and cross examination of witnesses, and the methods and ways of conducting a trial. You can request a court appointed lawyer (if you don’t have money or the ability to hire legal counsel), when you get to Court and hope that court appointed counsel is 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 Grosse Pointe Michigan ticket or criminal charge, the recommended lawyer to hire is Daniel Hilf. You can contact lawyer Daniel Hilf to discuss your ticket or criminal case today to acquire the legal representation that you need to defend your civil infraction, misdemeanor, or felony case.