What is a failure to appear  (FTA)?

This is a term used when a traffic ticket recipient fails to appear in traffic court in North Carolina for a scheduled court date. Another acronym or term of art used for this is “FTA”.

What is considered an appearance in traffic court in North Carolina?

You may appear by:

• Hiring a Traffic Attorney to appear and plead your case. A traffic attorney can often have your case dismissed, plead to a lesser charge, prevent license suspension, and maybe even have the fines reduced; OR
• Going to traffic court yourself and pleading your own case; OZR
• Paying off the traffic ticket and pleading as charged. Please note some tickets can not be paid and require a personal appearance in court by either yourself or your attorney. Also note that paying off some tickets without further action will result in either license suspension and or increased insurance premiums.

What happens if I missing my court date and I allow a failure to appear (FTA) to be entered against me?

Whether you are licensed in North Carolina or in another state, your license will be suspended. This is because most state DMVs report to other states regarding infractions/traffic tickets/ and non-appearances by Defendants in court dates.

• Also, additional charge will be assed to your traffic ticket in North Carolina, for failing to appear. This is waived in some counties, where an Attorney makes a request to have it excused for good cause.

What should I do to have my license reinstated?

• Contact the clerk’s office in the county which you received the traffic ticket and see if you will need to come there to have the case rescheduled.

Waive your appearance, and hire Traffic Attorney in the county where you received the ticket and have them have the case calendared and plead.

Maxwell Law Firm, PLLC  represents clients with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets, as well as Rowan County Traffic Tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation.

Charlotte Traffic Ticket Attorney

You should pull over if you need to make a phone call or need to text someone

Several states have enacted anti-texting and hands free cell phone legislation. People have been seriously injured by drivers who were talking and texting while driving. If you need to make a call make sure you have a cordless handset available so that your hands are free to drive on the road. If you need to send an email or text, pull over to the side of the road and send the email or text.

TEXTING/CELL PHONE USAGE AND DRIVING

Driving requires full attention, concentration, reading, and reflexes. Cell phone usage can compromise a driver’s ability to drive safely.

Cell Phone Usage: Most states have enacted legislation banning cell phone usage while operating a vehicle, unless the device is hands free.  Some states like New York have gone so far as to ban the use of a cell phone even if the driver has employed a hands fee device.

Texting and Driving: According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, 16 % of all fatal crashes in 2008 were related to texting and driving incidents. A person who is texting and driving is twenty-three (23) more times likely to get involved I a crash then someone who is not. (See http://www.nhtsa.gov/). 35 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers. This means that an officer can issue a ticket if you are caught driving and texting.

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it along with the fees to secure your representation.

Charlotte Speeding Tickets 

Statute of Limitations –a statute assigning a certain time after which rights cannot be enforced by legal action or offenses cannot be punished.

No the statutes of limitations do not apply to traffic citations. Statute of Limitations is the period of time which a prosecuting court must bring forth an action against you after you have committed an offense. The reason that this defense does not apply to citations is because you are deemed to be served with the action for which you are charged upon receipt of the citation by the issuing officer.

Maxwell Law Firm PLLC assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it along with the fees to secure your representation.

Frequently Asked Traffic Ticket Questions

Q. What is a traffic citation?

A. A court document issued by a police officer letting you know that you are charged with a traffic offense.

Q. What information should be listed on the traffic citation?

A. Your full name, driver’s license, what you are charged with, name of the court and date of which you will need to appear in traffic court.

Q. What are are driver’s license points?

A. Traffic Offenses carry penalties depending on the offense. When you plead or are found guilty that will be listed on your driver’s history or record for a certain amount of time.

Q. What are insurance points?

A. Points you are accessed by your insurance as a result of pleading guilty to a traffic offense. The insurance company charges you an amount in addition to your insurance premium per insurance point for three years or more after your conviction.

Q. How do I beat a traffic ticket?

A. There are certain legal defenses available depending on the offense and the circumstance that you received the ticket for. Discuss your case with an experienced Traffic Attorney.

Q. I received a speeding ticket in a state I do not live in, Can I ignore the ticket? will the department of motor vehicles in state where I reside find out?

A. No you can not ignore the traffic violation. Most states have an agreement and share information regarding citations and violations that have been issued in their states. Remember the police officer takes down all your data including your driver’s license number and the state of issuance. If you fail to appear for your court appearance, your license will be suspended.

Q. What happens if I pay the traffic ticket off and do not fight it?

A. Generally, paying off a ticket is the same as pleading as charged or guilty. Depending on the offense, 1. points will be accessed to your license, 2. your insurance premiums will go up, 3. your license maybe suspended if the offense is serious enough.

Q. I do not want to miss court or drive to North Carolina?

A. You do not have to attend traffic court if you do not want to. You can hire a traffic attorney and have them represent you by waiver.

Q. What role does a traffic attorney play?

A. A traffic attorney advocates for your innocence and or comes to some arrangement with the district attorney and or magistrate for a lesser charge/plea and fines.

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it along with the fees to secure your representation.

Disclaimer: This post is for information purposes. Nothing in this post should be construed to be providing legal/tax advice and or creating an Attorney-client relationship.

Save Money

North Carolina Traffic Fines have gone up tremendously in the past couple of years. Not to mention the additional fines that are added on by Mecklenburg County.

More driver’s license points means higher insurance rates or in some cases loss of insurance coverage. North Carolina insurance companies can surcharge you for each insurance point on your driver’s license for up to three years.

Some people think that hiring an Traffic Attorney will be too expensive and it will it will a cheaper to pay the ticket off then to hire an Attorney. Our fees are reasonable and we will often get your refines reduced and request additional time for you to pay them if you need it. Not to mention your insurance rates will stay the same.

Save your license

You are allowed a certain amount of driver’s license points for every three year period. Certain traffic offenses can result in automatic suspension of your license if you plead as charged. Driver’s License Points can result in an administrative suspension or hearing to decide the length of your driver’s license suspension. Keep in mind that even if you have an Out of State Driver’s license and receive a traffic ticket here in North Carolina not only will you need to handle the ticket in North Carolina, but your out-of-state license record could be impacted as well.

Save Time

On any given day there can be over 1,200- 1,500 other people waiting to resolve their traffic tickets in Mecklenburg County Traffic Court per session of court. There are two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If you are seeking a continuance you still have to wait in line. What does this mean? You will have to day off work just to deal with this matter. We can have your appearance waived so that we can attend traffic court on behalf.

Save Points

Paying a traffic ticket fine immediately makes you guilty to the traffic ticket charge. Why pay the fine and plead guilty lawyer can fight for you and win your case? We can get you a reduction to a non-moving violation, which means NO DRIVER’S LICENSE OR INSURANCE POINTS!

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic consultation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it with the fees to secure your representation.

I am often asked why the fines for traffic tickets are priced at what they are says, Traffic Attorney Victorianne Maxwell of Maxwell Law Firm PLLC, in Charlotte North Carolina.

HOW ARE THE FINES SET

Every year the North Carolina Legislature comes together and sets the fines for traffic violations in the state. The fines are listed out in the North Carolina General Statutes and are raised in July and October of each year.

WHY ARE THE FINES PRICED AT WHAT THEY ARE

Penalties and fines set for traffic infractions are set a certain rate as a deterrent and punishment for violating the traffic laws of North Carolina.

WHERE DO THESE FUNDS GO

The funds collected from traffic fines go to into a general fund and some of those funds go to the state and the remainder to the county to pay for state funding programs, education, roads, more police, ect.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT PAY THESE FINES

Your license will be suspended if you fail to handle your case and or pay the fines.

IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN HAVE MY FINES REDUCED AND SAVE MONEY

Yes there are ways you can reduce the amount of fines you accumulate.

1. Hire and Attorney before your scheduled court date. If you let your court date pass, an additional failure to appear fine of $200.00 will be applied to your fines.

2. Hire and Attorney and they will be able to have your charges reduced. Points on your license = means high insurance premiums. The insurance company can surcharge you per point on your license. Avoided or reduced points therefore means keeping your premiums low.

Maxwell Law Firm, PLLC assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it with the fees to secure your representation.

Frequently people are embarrassed and or angry when they receive a speeding ticket and do not know what to do, says Mecklenburg County Traffic Attorney Victorianne C. Maxwell. If you are looking for a traffic attorney you definitely want to do a serious of things.

Obtain Quotes from other Traffic Attorneys

Most traffic attorneys charge a flat fee rather than an hourly rate. You can search the net for several traffic attorneys in the area where you received the citation or traffic ticket to see what their rates are. Sometimes an Attorney will post his or fees for representation on their website. Our firm has a page dedicated to our traffic representation fees and rates. Generally, you will need to call around and check for fees. Keep in most Attorneys in a certain area charge around the same fees.

Communication with the Attorney or his or office

Most Attorneys have staff who will answer the phones, provide information including the rates and what services the Attorney offers. At our firm someone takes down your information and sends you information on the fees via email or mail, which ever you prefer. We also sometimes direct potential clients to our site where our fees are displayed.  Once we are retained, we keep our client’s informed regarding their case and any steps necessary to achieve the best results for their traffic case.

Ease in retention of the Attorney for your Traffic Matter

Attorneys will often have a way you can retain them for their services, either by faxing in a form or mailing in a fee. On our traffic retainer we indicated on the instructions how you can retain our firm and you do so in several ways, without ever meeting with me or coming into our office. We do our best to minimize the amount of work that a potential client has to do in order to retain our services.

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it with the fees to secure your representation.
 

I often have people calling my office asking what our rates for traffic tickets are? Sometimes they make comments like well it would be cheaper to pay off the fines than to hire an Traffic Attorney.

IMMEDIATE VS. LONG TERM COST OF  A TRAFFIC TICKET

Fines in most counties were recently increased for traffic tickets and infractions. If you pay the fine with nothing more you are pleading guilty.

Guilty plea means more points on your license and guaranteed increased insurance premiums for the next three years per offense!

So what do you do try to workout a plea with the District Attorney yourself? So you miss work or school?

Missing work will definitely cost you money and or waste one of your vacation or sick days.

Missing school will definitely cause you to be behind and miss important notes that you need for class.

WHAT CAN THE ATTORNEY DO THAT I CAN NOT

A lot of times a Traffic Attorney is experienced and knows traffic laws and consequences of certain pleas. Even if you research something off the internet are you in the position to read your driving record and determine what would be best for you? Most of the times you will not be. If you are charged with multiple traffic violations, an Attorney can have some of those violations dismissed and or reduced.

In the long run save yourself the hassle. Hire an experienced Attorney to represent you in traffic court and you will not be required to attend and receive a better plea. A better plea means less points and more money in your pocket every year.

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it with the fees to secure your representation.

YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE DON’T WASTE IN TRAFFIC COURT

Do  NOT waste your time going up the court house and miss work or school. We can have your appearance waived and our Attorney can appear on your behalf.

THE TRAFFIC FEES

FROM NOW UNTIL – DECEMBER 1, 2011

We slashing our rates and the fees to as follows:

IF infraction cases are $150.00 PLUS Fines

CR Criminal traffic cases are $200.00 PLUS Fines

Please download a copy of our  traffic retainer and return it to our office with the fees to receive this rate.

These rates apply to on Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties and and certain rules apply see our traffic retainer for more information.

PAYING OFF YOUR TRAFFIC FINES AND SAVING MONEY

If you pay the ticket off you are pleading guilty to the traffic offense and your insurance premiums will go up and stay up for three (3) years. Paying for representation is small price to pay in comparison to keeping your driving record as clean as possible.

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic evaluation. You can also download our traffic retainer here and return it with the fees to secure your representation.

We can assist you with :

• Infractions 
• Traffic Citations
• Speeding tickets
• Failures to appear
• License restorations
• Reopening of old traffic cases to reduce pleas 
• Reduced Insurance Points

We work hard to keep our rates low, 90% we will match or beat the competitor’s quote on representation

Maxwell Law Firm assists clients with representation with Mecklenburg County Traffic Tickets, Cabarrus County Traffic tickets, License restorations, reckless driving charges, high speed violations, warrant strikes, and other infractions. You may contact them at 704-780-1100 or online  for your free traffic consultation.