Protect your interest

How Do I fight a Speeding ticket in Massachusetts?

Choosing to challenge your speeding ticket can be a bit tricky, but you just can’t shake the thought of getting points on your driver’s record for an undeserved ticket. So you chose to challenge it and plead not guilty. But there’s just one problem, you don’t have any clue how to fight a speeding ticket and where to even start.  Don’t worry! Here’s a no-brainer guide to fighting a speeding ticket.

• As soon as you got pulled over for “speeding” and received your traffic ticket, try to always be as polite as you can in these kinds of situation. Raising your voice and stress level can only make you the “enraged over-speeding driver” in the eyes of the police officer.
• This is important, try to remember everything that happened before and after you received the speeding ticket. If possible, jot down the important details.
• Weigh your options.
  • For a civil offense like speeding, a lot of people might think that just paying the fines (In the state of Massachusetts, the penalty for speeding is $100 for 1 mile-an-hour to 10 miles-an-hour over the speed limit, plus $10 per every additional mile an hour over the speed limit) can make the ticket go away. Ironically, this isn’t true. Paying the fine means that you are pleading guilty to the offense. You also incur points on your driving record which can accumulate over time. With the right amount of points, it can suspend your license. Leaving you with even more penalties to pay and an increase in your car insurance rates. On the other hand, choosing to fight the ticket means you plead “not guilty” to the offense and you get to request a court hearing to decide your case. If the court decides to rule in your favor, you won’t have to pay the fine and you won’t get any points added to your record. But fighting your ticket means that you have an option to represent yourself in court or hire a traffic ticket attorney to defend you. Most probably, the best option for you is to hire a professional who knows this stuff better than you do.
• Respond to your speeding ticket. Don’t just ignore it. You have until 20 days to respond to a civil traffic ticket in Massachusetts (for criminal offense: 4 days). In your case, choosing to plead not guilty means that you wish to appeal your citation and must request a court hearing.
• Requesting a court hearing and responding to your ticket:
  • Check box 2 on your traffic ticket.
  • Pay $25 for court filing fee, you can include the money or check with the ticket inside an envelope.
  • Sign and date the back of your ticket as indicated.
  • Place the signed and dated citation as well as the court filing fee inside an envelope with your name and address on it.
  • Mail envelope to:

Citation Processing Center
P.O. Box 55890
Boston, MA 02205

• Be sure to print a copy of your citation for court hearing purposes.
• Contact an experienced traffic ticket lawyer.. Discuss your case truthfully with your attorney to help him/her build a solid defense strategy. This is where your notes and memory will come in handy.
• DON’T EVER MISS YOUR COURT DATE. Missing your court date means paying your ticket fine in full within 20 days.
• At your trial, let your attorney do his/her magic to get you out of this ticket.