If you select option one, you’re pleading guilty to the charge.

As a result you’ll receive:

• full cost of the ticket with no reduction
• your insurance may increase dramatically
• you’ll receive all demerit points
• any suspensions will be applied
• the ticket goes on your record for 3 years

NEVER select Option One.  There is rarely a time when paying the traffic ticket is your best option.

If you’d like to discuss your ticket and options, or need some advice give us a call.  Phone consultations are available without obligation or charge.

Insurance companies care about “convictions”, not demerit points. Demerit points affect licence suspensions, but not insurance rates.

At the court house the clerk may offer the driver to…

“meet the prosecutor, to come to a resolution and avoid going to trial for speeding“.

The goal of this option is to get you to plead guilty. The court and prosecution want to:

• save court time
• save court the expense of trial
• avoid the officer coming to court
• get a conviction to the charge

The prosecutor “may” reduce the ticket, but a conviction will go to the insurance, and:

• you lose any chance of the ticket being dismissed
• the conviction will affect your insurance rates
• the ticket, a conviction and any demerit points go on your record for 3 years
• any suspension may still apply.

All the prosecutor is allowed to do is reduce the ticket, the traffic ticket still goes on the driving record and to the insurance for three (3) years.

In some situations, selecting option 2 (early resolution) would be preferable to option 3 (trial). It is important that you speak to one of our paralegals prior to selecting an option. We will take all factors into consideration, including but not limited to: court location and process, class of licence, past convictions and previous licence suspensions.

Use caution where and who you take advice from.

It is only natural to discuss fighting your ticket with friends and family, they’re empathic to your concerns about the effects of a speeding ticket.

Do not take legal advice from police officers, prosecutors, clerks, and traffic court staff.

These people are working for the government, not for you. The prosecutors’ job, as the name suggests, is to prosecute and convict you, so why would you take advice from them?

Court personnel, who are not working for you, are not looking out for your interests, and may have ulterior motives.

If you take advice the court staff:

• you lose the chance to have the ticket dismissed
• clerks are not qualified to give advice, nor are they allowed to by law
• there maybe a mistake that could cancel your ticket, which the clerk won’t tell you about
• police officers may encourage you to plead guilty, avoiding them having to appear

Fighting a speeding ticket is the best way to protect your insurance, points and driving record. Other benefits of fighting your ticket include:

• there is always a chance of winning
• your driving record is kept clear and insurance low!
• speeding tickets can be won on legal technicalities and at trial
• police officer must attend traffic court, if they don’t the charges are dropped
• onus is on the prosecution to prove the case, before you have to defend yourself
• if the police or prosecution cannot prove the case for any reason, the ticket can be dismissed

When you fight your speeding ticket, while waiting for the court date, the ticket will not appear on your driving record, saving money on insurance.