Traffic Offenses
There are generally two categories of traffic offenses: “Traffic
Citations” and “Criminal Traffic”.
 TRAFFIC
CITATIONS (NON-CRIMINAL)
“Non-Criminal Traffic” offenses are commonly referred to
as “tickets”, “infractions” or “citations”
and include: speeding, failure to yield right of way, following to closely,
failure to obey traffic signal, failure to maintain a single lane, careless
driving and many more. These tickets are not punishable by jail, but
can result in fines, points on the driving record (possible increased
insurance rates) and even license suspension. Direct payment of a moving
violation citation will result in a driving record entry including an
automatic assessment of points. If a person, or their attorney, goes
to court and convinces the hearing officer to “withhold adjudication”,
then no points will be assessed against the license, although other
penalties are typical. If a dismissal or a not guilty judgment is obtained,
then there would be no driving record entry and no fines or penalty.
Ticketed drivers will often hire an attorney in an effort to:
- avoid having to go to court themselves,
- have the ticket dismissed,
- contest the ticket at a hearing by disputing or challenging the
facts, and/or
- mitigate or lessen the penalties (i.e., avoiding points on the driving
record).
Gerald A. Perez, or an attorney working on his behalf, may be able
to help you with a non-criminal traffic citation in Hillsborough County.
 CRIMINAL
TRAFFIC
“Criminal Traffic” offenses include: DUI,
Driving While License Suspended or Revoked, Reckless Driving, Leaving
the Scene of an Accident, Highway Racing and others. These offenses
carry the potential sentence of jail time and a permanent criminal record.
A court appearance by the accused or their attorney is required. These
cases are normally handled like any other criminal defense case. Criminal
traffic cases can range from the relatively minor to the very serious
including DUI Manslaughter and Vehicular Homicide. Legal Fee quotes
are available on request after initial consultation. Gerald A. Perez,
personally handles all “Criminal Traffic” offenses. |
