[lexilu]

Is it possible? Is getting an attorney really worth the money? Does anyone have any experiences they would like to share?

[Sealord]

For a CDL holder, don't think it's possible any longer. Even for tickets gotten while driving a four wheeler. BOL

[Uturn2001]

Originally Posted by Sealord

For a CDL holder, don't think it's possible any longer. Even for tickets gotten while driving a four wheeler. BOL

What is no longer possible is having a ticket removed by attending a traffic school if you have a CDL.

I do not know about having a conviction overturned however. If you have not pled guilty to the ticket yet then yes a lawyer may be able to get it reduced or be able to get the charges dropped.

And yes. For CDL holders there is no longer any difference between what you do in a car and what you do in a big truck.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by lexilu

Is it possible? Is getting an attorney really worth the money?

How valuable is yor CDL to you?

For the few citations I got, I had an attorney handle them. If for no other reason than the attorney can show up in court for you so you don't have to take the time off to do so in person.

Alas, my attorney usually was able to plead down my citations.

[lwpat]

If you mean having it removed once you have paid the fine, it is highly unlikely. Paying the fine is the same as entering a guilty plea. If you mean hiring an attorney to fight the ticket, it depends on the situation. Keep in mind that any violation will likely increase your personal auto insurance.

[golfhobo]

LWPAT, I always like reading your posts. You give very good info. But, your Avatar gives me the creeps! :lol:

Why don't you guys just get CB's and "gently" say something like: "Hey, Crete driver, ya wanna pull it over and let me bust you?"

All those lights are gonna give some poor guy a heart attack some night!

In the last two weeks, I've looked in my mirror and seen that 'fireworks display' about 6 times!! NONE was for ME, thank God. But, nevertheless, I still can't swallow a meal around that lump in my throat!! :lol: :lol:

[lwpat]

Thanks for the compliment. I am no longer an officer but did enjoy it and the avatar brings back memories, some good and some bad. Truckers have it tough enough without having to worry about getting a ticket just because you picked up just a couple of mph's going down a hill.

One of the worse is when a gas tanker overturned and we had gas running down the street. I turned around and the driver was trying to get his gear out of the cab with a lighted cigaret in his mouth. He spent the night in jail just because of that.

I doubt that you have to worry much. Most good drivers don't.

I own a small trucking company now and we haul hazmat. Most of the officers I come into contact with are professional and will give you a break if you will let him. Usually its all about attitude. An officer can almost tell by the condition the truck is in what type of driver he is fixing to deal with. Then there are always some of the other kind of officers who have what I call "power poison", but they usually don't last long.

[Scout]

I couple years ago I got 4 tickets late one night.
I didn't want to get suspended, so I just paid the tickets. I wasn't driving a truck at the time, so it wasn't a problem. That put 12 points on my license right there, then I had the defensive driver program to do, and that took off 4 points. A year later I wanted to get back to driving, but I had too many points. I got a lawyer, and what he did was he opened the case or file back up and had it changed to something else. I forget what it is called, but it's like a probation thing and doesn't put any points on.

[BrianM98]

Back in May I got into a little fender bender on the way home from work. Bumper-to-bumper traffic and some guy wants to wait until the very last second to jump in front of me. No sooner did he jump in front of me, that he hit his brakes and BAM I hit him. His big Chevy pickup didn't get a scratch but my little Mitsubishi Eclipse wasn't so lucky.

The state trooper came and wrote me out a ticket for following to closely and causing an accident. I tried to explain the situation but she said I was at fault because I hit the other vehicle. The fine was $153.

Worried that my goal of becoming a truck driver was about to fade away, I found a website that refers lawyers who specialize in traffic tickets. I wrote on there my side of the story and a lawyer contacted me in a couple of days. I paid $275 for the lawyer and sent the ticket back in to the court saying that I wanted to contest it.

My court date was on August 24th and the lawyer met me there. There was another lawyer in the courtroom with a stack of traffic tickets and the judge was dismissing them left and right. The only one he kept was one where some guy had been speeding through a school zone. Then it was our turn. The lawyer did all the talking and I just stood there. To make a long story short, the judge dismissed my case too.

Some may say that spending $275 to get out of a $153 ticket was a bad idea, but I'm here to tell ya that I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It was money well spent in my book.

The website I went to, just in case you're curious, is: www.tixnix.com

I have heard people I know go to court for a speeding ticket and the judge just made them pay a fine and nothing on there record. The fact that you show up means a lot. I showed up a few months ago because I was caught speeding on the entry ramp in my car to merge into traffic that was doing 70 in a 55. The cop was there and stated his case then the judge asked me, I choked and just said I wasn't guilty...Case dismissed!!! Holy crap I thought and walked out.