Defense for All Types of Traffic Tickets and Charges.

How Our Jacksonville Traffic Ticket Lawyers and Criminal Defense Attorneys Help.

Unfortunately, traffic tickets are an issue that can easily become a substantial problem for drivers in Florida if not addressed in a timely manner. And the fastest way to mitigate the potential short term and long term costs they can cause is to speak with one of the Jacksonville traffic ticket lawyers at McGRATH GIBSON LAW.

In Florida, being found guilty of a moving traffic violation will result in points being assigned to your driving record. This can dramatically increase a driver’s auto insurance rates. And too many points can lead to a suspended drivers license. If a driver exceeds 12 points within 12 months, their drivers license will be suspended for 30 days. 18 points within 18 months will result in a 3 month suspension and 24 points within 36 months results in a 1 year suspension.

Our Jacksonville traffic ticket lawyers will bring clarity to what is a very stressful situation for most. Guidance on what proceedings will take place and what to expect, having a planned defense strategy, and having an experienced defense attorney who can tell you how the prosecutor is likely to negotiate and how the judge is likely to rule is extremely valuable to our clients.

If you have received a traffic ticket or have been arrested for a traffic violation there are a number of actions that our defense attorneys can take. The sooner you call, the sooner we can give you important advice and guidance on how to possibly keep points off your driving record, reducing charges or even getting your case dismissed. Contact us as soon as possible. We are available 24/7 at (904) 358-3300.

How We Fight to Reduce or Eliminate Speeding Tickets.

Being pulled over and issued a speeding ticket is stressful enough. But things can get worse if you don’t take the appropriate and required actions. If you’ve received a speeding ticket in Florida for driving less than 30 MPH over the speed limit, you have a few options:

For most, none of these options sound good. Possibly spending hours in court, making sure you don’t break any other laws by not filing or doing something in time are both good reasons to speak with one of our Jacksonville traffic ticket lawyers.

In addition to knowing Florida’s driving laws inside and out and having extensive experience in court, we also know how to gather and where to look for evidence that can cause a judge to dismiss your case. Factors such as the laser, radar or pace clock device that was used to measure your speed not being properly calibrated or maintained in accordance to Florida law, mistakes or omissions by police officers, and even your driving record can be presented in court and lead to fines being reduced or your case being dismissed.

If you have received a speeding ticket, let our Jacksonville traffic ticket lawyers take care of it for you. we have the experience and will work hard to achieve the best possible outcome.

Red Light Ticket Attorneys in Jacksonville

How We Fight Stop Sign and Red Light Tickets.

Florida law states that when a driver approaches an intersection red light or stop sign, the driver must come to a complete stop at the white “limit line” or closest edge of a cross walk. If neither exist, the driver must come to a complete stop at the entrance of the intersection or point where they have clear sight of approaching traffic to the left and right.

If you receive a ticket for not coming too a complete stop at a stop signal on a regular public street, your fine will range between $70 and $200 dollars or $50 to $200 for running a stop sign. The automatic ticket amount for running a red light in an intersection with a red light camera is $158. However, running a stop signal or sign in a school or construction zone could double the amount of the ticket.

These two moving violations also add points to your driving record. 4 points for failing to stop at a steady red signal and 3 points for failing to stop at a stop sign. And these points will remain on your driving record for 3 years causing your car insurance to increase by at least 20% or around $500 a year for most policies.

Defense for Running a Stop Sign

Stop sign violation are almost always the result of the officer who issued the ticket. As a result they can be challenged for a number of different reasons. Some of the more common reasons include:

• The driver actually came to a complete stop before the limit line out of an abundance of caution and out of the officers sight.
• The stop sign was recently installed in an area where the driver is a habitual driver and is not accustomed to stopping at the intersection.
• The stop sign was hidden by foliage or graffiti.
• The stop sign was not clearly visible do to being damaged, being twisted, bent, or down all together.

Defense for Running Red Light

The are also numerous defenses that can be used in court to challenge a red light violation, especially violations recorded by red light cameras. Some of the reasons or defense strategies for fighting a red light ticket that was issued by a law officer are:

• The light was yellow when you entered the intersection.
• If you have a clean driving record, we can often use your clean record to negotiate a lesser charge, reduced fine or even a dismissal of the charges.
• We can use the “yellow light dilemma”. This can occur on heavily trafficked roadways with speed limits of 35 MPH+. A driver is being followed closely as they approach the intersection. And they are unable to stop safely without the risk of causing a rear end collision by the vehicle following too close.

Some of the reasons or defense strategies for fighting a red light camera ticket are:

• If you were not driving the vehicle when the red light camera photo was taken, a signed affidavit with supporting documentation can result in a dismissal.
• Like above, if you have a clean driving record, we can use your clean record to negotiate a lesser charge, reduced fine or even a dismissal of the charges.
• We may be able to prove that the camera or the signal light was malfunctioning with DOT maintenance records.
• We may be able to prove that the traffic light did not stay yellow for the length of time required by Florida law.

If you received a ticket for running a red light or stop sign, you are not automatically guilty. There are steps that can be taken to reduce your fine, keep points off your driving record or even get your charges dismissed. Contact our Jacksonville traffic ticket lawyers to discuss a possible basis for fighting your ticket.