Charged with Driving 9 Miles Over the Speed Limit in Florida?
If you are one of the thousands of motorists that received a 9 over speeding ticket in Florida you may be questioning why that happened. The easy answer has to do with ticket prices, and the outrageous fines associated with them. Let me explain with an example. We speak with motorists on a daily basis who may have been doing 85 mph in a 70 mph zone on the interstate. The officer will advise the driver that if they write that ticket the fine amount will be north of $250. Instead the officer will review your driving record on their driver license database called “DAVID” and see that you have a good record.
The officer will then cut you a break and write the ticket for a 9 over, or in the example 79 in a 70. That means that the fine amount will probably be less than $150 dollars and the points will be 3 instead of possibly 4. The officers make their numbers and keeps their bosses off their backs by showing productivity. As the motorist you make out great because your fine amount was cut by over $100 dollars. BUT just because the officer cut you a break does not mean you should just pay the ticket. If you just pay the ticket you will still have points assessed to your drivers license. Having points on your license can cause your insurance rates to increase dramatically and if you accrue a certain amount of points your license could be suspended. Also, if you drive for a living points on your license could lead to the loss of your job.
Florida drivers are only permitted 12 points per year and 24 points within the time span of 3 years. Since these points can remain on your record for up to 5 years and they could affect other aspects of your life such as employment and insurance rates, it is imperative that you build a winning defense with a knowledgeable Florida traffic ticket ticket attorney in the area.
So even though the officer cut you a break and you now have a reduced fine we still always recommend that you speak with an experienced speeding ticket attorney who can review your situation and help you understand your options. In most cases the best course of action would be to have your traffic ticket lawyer fight the speeding ticket in court to try and get it dismissed or at the very least keep the points off your license.
Caveat….Although not a common practice, if the officer did cut you a break and you contest the 9 over ticket the officer can come to court and amend that citation back to the original speed.
What Happens if the Officer Amends your Citation?
If the officer chooses to amend your citation, you could be facing higher penalties all the way around. It is possible, in scenarios such as this, for your trial to be delayed briefly as a result of the amendment. This will give you and your speeding ticket attorney a bit more time to build the best possible defense but the 30 day window you have to respond to the initial citation still applies. This means that you must appoint a speeding ticket lawyer within that 30 day time frame after you received the citation in order to ensure that all legal documentation is submitted to the Clerk of the Court in a timely manner.
The Officer Did Cut You a Break but Driving 9 Miles Over Still Comes with Penalties
A speeding ticket for 9 miles over could still damage your reputation as a driver, especially if your job requires you to have a clean driving record. The same is true in regards to increased insurance premiums and the possibility of less future employment options. If you have a job where a speeding ticket could lead to termination, fighting the ticket may be your only option.
There are a number of traffic, weather and road conditions that could serve as defenses in your speeding case. If you would like to to fight a 9 MPH over speeding ticket contact a Florida speeding ticket lawyer immediately to review all the elements of your case via a free case evaluation.
