So you've been pulled over by a Georgia law enforcement officer and now have a speeding ticket in your hand that could drain your wallet and put points on your license. However, it's possible to fight the speeding ticket in the Georgia court system. If you can make your case, you just might be able to get the ticket expunged and walk out home-free.
Read the speeding ticket to see when you're due to appear in court to enter a plea for it.
Read More: How to Reduce a Speeding Ticket
Appear in court on the day specified. The judge will ask you to enter a plea on the ticket, If you wish to contest it, plead not guilty. A future court date to consider the ticket will be set. If you wish to avoid the arraignment, it may be possible to submit a not-guilty plea by fax or mail. Check with the specific court to see if this is an option.
Appear in court on the next established court date. Come prepared to make your case for why you are not guilty of a speeding infraction. The officer who wrote the ticket also will testify as to why he wrote the ticket.
Argue before the court that the ticket given is either incorrect, invalid or was given improperly. A common approach is to examine the ticket for typographical or factual errors. Highlight before the court any errors found and ask for the ticket to be declared invalid.
Warnings
Georgia doesn't offer traffic school as an alternative to paying a fine or having points assessed to your license.
Tips
At the first court date, you may be given the opportunity to accept a reduced ticket in exchange for a plea of guilty. Consider whether the smaller fine and potentially fewer points are preferable to the risk of the entire penalty should you be found guilty in the follow-up hearing.
If prepared to pay a fine, bring cash to the courthouse, because personal checks aren't accepted.
If possible, delay the court proceedings as much as possible. The ticket cannot be enforced if an officer forgets or is unable to testify, so delaying the court date to improve the odds the officer either forgets to appear or is transferred out of that department.
References
Tips
- At the first court date, you may be given the opportunity to accept a reduced ticket in exchange for a plea of guilty. Consider whether the smaller fine and potentially fewer points are preferable to the risk of the entire penalty should you be found guilty in the follow-up hearing.
- If prepared to pay a fine, bring cash to the courthouse, because personal checks aren't accepted.
- If possible, delay the court proceedings as much as possible. The ticket cannot be enforced if an officer forgets or is unable to testify, so delaying the court date to improve the odds the officer either forgets to appear or is transferred out of that department.
Warnings
- Georgia doesn't offer traffic school as an alternative to paying a fine or having points assessed to your license.
Writer Bio
Pete Campbell has written professionally since 2006. He has covered culture, sports, literature, business and politics. He has been published in a wide range of publications, including the "Wall Street Journal." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame.