How to Properly Defend Yourself against a Toronto Traffic Ticket
By: GoogleKid | Posted: 14th May 2010
Unfortunately if you are a driver in Toronto traffic tickets are everyday parts of life for most of us. Everyone knows that uneasy feeling that comes with knowing you have done something wrong and gotten caught for it, but sometimes it's not your fault and instead you get that feeling of anger because you know you're innocent. Whichever situation you are dealing with when you get a traffic ticket you may not know how to handle it or what kind of consequences you should expect. This article is being written for you to give you some tips on what you should do after receiving a Toronto traffic ticket.
After getting a traffic ticket most of us will wait until we get home to actually look at the ticket, if it is your first traffic ticket the first thing you may notice is the ticket says "You don't have to go to court" this can put a smile on your face until you realize that all that means is that you can just pay the ticket without defending yourself. Of course if you don't defend yourself you may lose points off of your license and your insurance rates will more than likely go up.
You should always go to court after receiving a traffic ticket, sometimes the idea of going to court intimidates you and will stop you from fighting your traffic ticket. You should know though that in some cases a judge is likely to lower your fines just because you showed the integrity to go to court.
When you do go to court you should always be prepared and know how to argue your case the correct way. If you feel that the traffic ticket you received was incorrect or unfair for whatever reason, you should simply tell the judge that you are "not guilty". The judge will then give you the floor to argue your case and provide evidence as to why you believe you are not guilty. You should keep in mind that it is not your word against the officers, you need to prove to the judge beyond a reasonable doubt that you are not at fault for the judge to dismiss your case.
In the case that you are defending yourself from a speeding ticket the best thing to do is to ask to have the documentation on the device that was used to clock your speed. These devices usually have to be calibrated every few months and in some cases once every month. If the device that clocked you was not properly calibrated then you have a great chance of your case being dismissed.
The most important thing to keep in mind when you receive a traffic ticket is your rights. You should know what you can and can't do on the roads and keep in mind that in most cases the officers on the roads giving you those tickets are not doing it for personal gain, they are out there to keep our roads safe and to do that they must treat everyone as equals.About the Author
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Tags: integrity, consequences, anger, insurance, smile on your face, insurance rates, traffic ticket, reasonable doubt