When you think of traffic court, what do you picture? Grandiose TV scenes of judges in black robes and high-profile lawyers with custom-made suits? Or is it more like the fourth floor of Pawnee City Hall from Parks and Rec?
In reality, New Orleans traffic court is somewhere in between, and there are a lot of headaches involved with fighting a traffic violation.
Read on to find out what to expect if you end up in traffic court and how our team of traffic ticket attorneys at Crescent City Law can help.
What to expect in New Orleans traffic court
- Long lines: Lawyers typically get called first in traffic court, leaving non-lawyers, aka normal, everyday citizens, sitting on an uncomfortable bench for hours at a time. When Crescent City Law represents you in traffic court, a lawyer can typically have your case resolved within three hours from start to finish.
- Wasted time: If you choose to battle your traffic violation on your own without the help of an experienced attorney, you could have to take up to two half-days off of work to fight the case.
- No cell phone access: Non-lawyers typically are not allowed to bring their cell phones into the courtroom, so be sure to bring a magazine or book to pass the time since you can’t catch up on emails or play Candy Crush on your phone.
- Don’t be too optimistic about resolving your case in just one visit. Crescent City Law speaks from experience: You could have to go to court more than once to settle the case. We usually go at least twice.
- Don’t expect help from anyone inside the courtroom… The law prohibits the judge and clerks of court from giving advice. Prosecutors are unable to provide advice because it is a conflict of interest.
- Plan on having to pay some sort of fees. Even if the judge or traffic hearing officer reduces the severity of your violation or changes it to a non-moving violation, you should still expect some type of fee to be involved.
Luckily, hiring a traffic ticket doesn’t always mean you’ll wind up having to go to traffic court in-person — particularly due to the pandemic. If you are required to go, however, our team at Crescent City Law is here to help and be by your side.
We know it’s not easy to get time off in order to show up for your court date. And in the era of COVID-19, going in person to a public building with hundreds of strangers is a risk.
Our attorneys are fully vaccinated, so you can stay home or take care of your other responsibilities while we attend your mandatory court appearance and fight on your behalf. In short, we go to court so you don’t have to.
Why should you hire an attorney to handle your traffic ticket?
Even the most routine of traffic tickets can end up costing a pretty penny. Do you want to admit fault and pay the fine in full? Or would you rather pay less and spend less time in traffic court? When should you consider hiring a lawyer to help with your traffic case?
Here are some scenarios to consider:
- Do you want the ticket off your driving record?
- How much will your insurance go up if the ticket is reported to your record and how long will you continue to pay an increased insurance premium
- Do you want the fine reduced or eliminated?
- Do you want the ticket dismissed altogether?
These scenarios are hard to come by without dedicated legal representation from an experienced New Orleans traffic ticket attorney.
Plus, lawyers who fight cases in traffic court know things that ordinary citizens might not, such as:
- The officer who issued the citation might not show up in court
- Local, specialized traffic laws that you might not be familiar with
“A good lawyer knows the law; a clever one takes the judge to lunch.”
—Mark Twain
Contact Crescent City Law today
If you want to fight your speeding ticket, contact Crescent City Law Firm to learn about your options or submit your ticket online by clicking here.
