Getting a traffic ticket for speeding in Lake Lotawana, Missouri is common. It is important for you to consider your options. Making the wrong choice will cost you money, affect your criminal record, harm your driving record, suspend your license, and affect your credit. The wrong choice will reduce your ability to get a lenient result in the future, should you get into more traffic trouble.
This article gives you the tools, resources, and helps your analysis to decide what is best for you.
The First Answer You Need: What Type of Police Officer gave you a Speeding Ticket?
It is critical to know which type of police officer gave you your speeding ticket in Lake Lotawana. This is because different types of police officers send traffic tickets to different courts. There are three options:
- First, a Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper would give a speeding ticket and take you to the Circuit Court of Jackson County at Independence.
- Second, a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy giving you a speeding ticket in Lake Lotawana send his tickets to Jackson County Municipal Court in Independence.
- Third, a Lake Lotawana City Police Officer sends his speeding tickets to Lake Lotawana Municipal Court.
This article focuses on Lake Lotawana Municipal Court.
What Laws Apply to My Lake Lotawana Traffic Ticket?
Fines for speeding and other traffic tickets in Lake Lotawana Municipal Court come from the following authority:
- Code of State Regulations 21.06
- Supreme Court Rule 37.65
- Missouri Law 479.350
- Missouri Law 546.902
- Missouri Law 559.607
- Lake Lotawana Municipal Code
Lake Lotawana Municipal Court traffic tickets are sentenced through either jail time or a fine. The laws relating to sentencing in Lake Lotawana Municipal Court are as follows:
Fines for Traffic Tickets are determined by the following Missouri Laws:
- Supreme Court Rule 37.65
- Missouri Law 479.350
- Missouri Law 479.353
- Missouri Law 546.902
- Missouri Law 559.607
What Are the Speeding Ticket Fine Limits?
There are limits to Lake Lotawana traffic ticket fine amounts. The fine limits are determined by the type of fine you have. For example, a speeding ticket in Lake Lotawana is considered a “minor traffic violation.” Missouri Law mandates that violation will have a maximum fine of $225.00. This is opposed to Lake Lotawana Municipal Court ordinance violations that can be $200.00, $275.00, $350.00, or as much as $450.00.
What are the Advantages of Just Paying my Lake Lotawana Speeding Ticket and Not Hiring a Traffic Lawyer?
Most people hire a speeding ticket lawyer to handle a Lake Lotawana traffic ticket. However, you have the option of not hiring an attorney. The advantages are that you will pay less money in the short term because you will not have to incur the attorney’s fee. Also, your fine will be less. In addition, you will not have to do the work of selecting the best traffic ticket lawyer for Lake Lotawana. It will be less paperwork for you in the short term. You merely have to sign the ticket, enclose your check, and mail it back in the envelope provided by the Lake Lotawana Municipal Police officer. That is easy, quick, and cheaper in the short run.
What are my Advantages if I Hire a Lake Lotawana Traffic Lawyer?
The primary advantage of hiring a Lake Lotawana speeding ticket attorney is financial. You will save much money in the long term. This is because insurance costs rise for people who “just pay” speeding tickets. A second advantage is you will not lose points off your driver’s license. A Lake Lotawana municipal speeding ticket will cost you two points off your driver’s license. Eight points will cause your license to be suspended. A third advantage will be your clean driving record. A Lake Lotawana traffic lawyer will be able to amend a speeding ticket down to a non-moving violation that will not appear on your driving record. Traffic records are used more and more to determine employment, loans, and other life events. Having a clean record is an important asset. The final advantage is a clean criminal record. Just paying a traffic ticket will note a conviction for a crime on your permanent criminal record. It goes without saying; having a clean criminal record is important for many facets of one’s life.
What will my Fine Be if I Just Pay My Speeding Ticket?
Flip to the back of your ticket to determine the schedule for your Lake Lotawana, Missouri speeding ticket fine. Remember; this is the fine to plead guilty and be convicted. You can just pay the ticket through the letter. There is also a payment online through the Lake Lotawana Municipal Court website for convenient convictions. You can also pay at your Lake Lotawana Municipal Court date.
How Do I Verify the Speed Listed on my Ticket is Correct?
The Municipal Code of Lake Lotawana, Missouri lists the posted speed limits for its various roads. These are found in the Speeding section of its code. Look there if you wish to verify the speed limit where you received your ticket. Remember that the posted speed has a rebuttable presumption that it is correct under Missouri law. State v. Ostdiek, 351 S.W.3d 758 (Mo.App. 2011).
How Much will my Speeding Ticket Cost if I Hire a Lake Lotawana Traffic Attorney?
Attorney’s fees for a Lake Lotawana speeding ticket range between $100.00 and $150.00, depending upon the circumstances. Expect your fines to be $225.00. Court costs for traffic tickets in Lake Lotawana depend upon the type of citation. Lake Lotawana Municipal Court also alters its court costs from time to time. Expect court costs to be approximately $25.00.
Do I Personally Have to Appear at Lake Lotawana Municipal Court?
You should not expect to personally have to appear at Lake Lotawana Municipal Court if you hire a traffic lawyer. If you wish to “just pay” your speeding ticket and mail the ticket in or pay online, you also will not have to show at court. Otherwise, expect to have to show for your court date to handle your Lake Lotawana ticket.
How Much More will I have to Pay Insurance if I Do Not Hire a Lake Lotawana Traffic Lawyer?
Insurance premium costs increase for those who incur traffic ticket convictions. The amount you will have to pay for a traffic ticket conviction will depend upon how much you are paying for your insurance.
There have been studies and articles analyzing insurance premium cost increases after traffic ticket convictions. First, find out what your insurance is costing you. Then, add the following amounts:
- Driving 1 to 14 mph over the limit equals 11% rise in cost
- Driving 15 to 29 mph over the limit equals 12% rise in cost
- Other traffic tickets increase insurance premium costs from between 3% (seatbelt violations) to 22% insurance cost rises (careless and imprudent driving)
Who is the Best Traffic Lawyer for a Lake Lotawana Speeding Ticket?
Two main attributes for a traffic ticket lawyer apply for most Lake Lotawana citations. You want a lawyer who is frequently in Lake Lotawana Municipal Court. You want an attorney who is competent.
The closest traffic lawyers for a Lake Lotawana ticket are Hamilton and Associates of Pleasant Hill, Missouri. Their office is on 7 Highway. Lake Lotawana is on 7 Highway. They appear at Lake Lotawana Municipal Court as frequently as any law firm.
Second, competency is an issue. Some lawyers can handle complex cases. Other lawyers handle only basic cases. Matt Hamilton of Pleasant Hill, Missouri handles both complex and straight forward cases in Lake Lotawana Municipal Court.
You might find you are paying more for the same service for lawyers in other geographic areas. This is because remote lawyers have to travel farther and therefore spend more time resolving each Lake Lotawana ticket. Those lawyers do not frequently appear in Lake Lotawana charge more because of higher risk (due to uncertainty) or because of the added time they will spend learning its procedures. This is why many attorneys will “refer out” cases from far away locations, choosing to provide a better service for their client rather than charge more for the same service.
In the end, it is a matter of personal choice for you. Use this article to analyze what is best for your particular present situation. Choose what you feel is in your own best interest.