Krizteenah
Junior Member
I realize that every state is different, but I'd suggest looking into the court procedures. For example, in FL, you request a trial, and you don't go immediately to trial- they have a pre-trial conference, where if your record is decent, they will offer a reduced fine and no points. That's when you decide whether or not you want to plead no contest or continue with not guilty, and if you choose the later, you wait for your court date. When you get to that court date, you are offered once more a plea of no contest or not guilty, though this time, you will be assessed court fees along with your original fine, but usually no points, and if you choose not guilty again, it's you vs. cop, though I think maestro's suggestions were excellent.The problem with pleading not guilty is that often times that will mean that the option for traffic school will be removed.
Now, OK may be drastically different, but if you can figure out how it will go down before you get there, you can make better decisions.
Also, this is random, but I wouldn't suggest hiring a ticket lawyer- they literally show up and see if the cop is there- if he is, they enter a plea of no contest, if they aren't the ticket is dismissed. You can do that yourself, and have a better shot since if officer is there, you can at least try to prove yourself innocent. Those lawyers make a killing out of paranoid [or lazy] people.
EDIT: but, of course, if you plead not guilty through the whole thing, and you actually go through with the trial and are found guilty, traffic school is not an option, as I quoted.