The state of Ohio is known to have some of the strictest traffic laws in the United States. There are harsh penalties for DUIs and a system of points that affects a driver’s record, should they accumulate traffic violations. For any driver that has faced speeding tickets on their record, there are a number of questions to consider as you think about what steps to take next i.e. whether or not you want to connect with a Columbus speeding ticket lawyer and how long do points actually stay on your record.

Below, we look at how long speeding tickets stay on your record, what exactly the points system is, and what steps you can take should you receive a speeding ticket in Columbus Ohio.

Disclaimer: The following is not legal advice. It is general information meant to inform. Please consult with a speeding ticket lawyer in Columbus, Ohio for legal advice and representation on your individual case.

What Exactly is the Point System in Ohio?

As a driver in Ohio, you may already be familiar with the point system. The point system is used by the State to indicate the severity of different traffic violations like speeding, failure to follow posted traffic signs/signals, and even DUIs.

The point system applies a specific point value to each different type of traffic violation. When drivers hit the 6-point mark on their record within 2 years, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will issue a warning letter. The letter will include each traffic violation and the number of points for each one.

In 2021, Ohio issued a total of 72,543 warning letters to drivers.

How Long Do Speeding Tickets Stay on Your Record in Ohio?

In Ohio, if a driver receives a speeding ticket, they will receive points added to their driving record via the State’s point system. Each set of points that are issued to drivers will accumulate for a rolling 2-year period.  Insurance companies often use their own point system or risk category and look back period to determine your rate.

Each situation in which you may be issued points will result in a range of 0-6 points being added to your record if you are convicted. For example, say you receive two speeding violations within a year and each is worth 2 points. That means that a total of 4 points have been added to your driving record and they will continue to accumulate on your record for 2 years starting on the conviction date.

If you accumulate 12 or more points within a 2-year period, your driver’s license will be suspended. Once suspended, as per Ohio’s BMV website, there are a number of reinstatement requirements that would need to be met before your license can be valid again.  These requirements include:

• Serve a 6-month suspension.
• File a certificate of insurance.
• Complete a remedial driving course.
• Retake a complete driver’s license exam and in-car test.
• Pay a reinstatement fee.

So, to sum up, speeding tickets on your record will continue to stack up for a 2-year period. You can seek to fight speeding tickets to help reduce the potential points added to your record and additional license penalties with the help of a Columbus speeding ticket lawyer.

Traffic Violations That Lead to Points

There are a number of traffic violations that can lead to points being added to a driver’s record. Traffic violations that may lead to points on your record include:

• Speeding
• Failure to control
• Assured clear distance (running into the car in front of you)
• Failure to use the turn signal
• Failing to stop at a stop sign or traffic light
• Failing to stop after being involved in a car accident
• Disobeying a traffic control device or traffic signal
• Driving under a suspended driver’s license
• Evading or fleeing from the police
• Operating or driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Street racing
• Improper passing
• Following too closely to another vehicle

This is a non-exhaustive list of traffic violations that do carry points in Ohio. It’s important to note that different traffic violations will receive a different point value based on severity. For example, driving too slowly is a 2-point violation whereas driving under the influence is a 6-point violation.

What Should You Do if You Want to Address Speeding Tickets on Your Record?

Regarding speeding tickets already on your record, there is no easy way to remove the points. You can request that the court reopens a resolved case, but there is no guarantee that the case will be reopened.

Another option for drivers is the 2-point extension. The Ohio BMV does allow this extension on a driver’s license (giving you a total of 14 points before license suspension) if a driver completes a remedial driving course.

Lastly, drivers can and should contest traffic violations when received. This is extremely important, even if you have no history of traffic violations.  Once violations begin accumulating, harder it becomes to avoid convictions and points in the future. Calling a Columbus speeding ticket lawyer is a good first step to contesting a traffic violation in Columbus.  Attorney Colin Maher from The Maher Law Firm, LLC can be reached by calling 614-205-2208.

Mike

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Don’t Make These All Too Common Mistakes When Hiring a DUI Attorney in Grand Rapids & Wyoming

Hiring any such legal person may be complicated, people do have some common mistakes to make which should be avoided to help better selection and to help you out, we are going to discuss them to clear things and settle them out. 

However, you can also take expert advice for which simply you can look to connect to a Grand Rapids & Wyoming criminal defense attorney who can help you with the right selection to make your case strong at court and make sure your legal accusation can be cleared. Seeking legal assistance for DUI less safe cases

In case of more severe DUI angles, you can take smart advice from specialists for which you can consider a Grand Rapids & Wyoming DUI attorney who can help you with close angles and can take smart views and tips to have the right selection to hire an attorney for your case. 

Before you try to avoid most elemental mistakes while hiring any such attorney, there are a few things to consider and they may include: 

• Level of charges applied against you 
• Evidence that makes you stand in the legal term 
• Terms to check-in process to clear charges 
• Cost, measure, and experience of the attorney 

And these are a few things that do make such steps critical so you need to check for the first and then clear out basic terms to cover such a process and hire such an attorney smartly. 

Personal debate 

The first thing you won’t do as a minimal step against your own position is to debate with such an attorney, it’s not good for you to leave in front and such lawyers are very straightforward in legal terms so you have to make sure that while you go for the hiring process, it’s better to stay calm and make sure technical things are clear from both sides for resolution.

Questioning status 

In another case, while a person starts to hire an attorney for a DUI case, he or she is not fit to ask status, but if you do wish to, try to find your means or cross-check elemental arguments, then it can make matters critical so you better need to not ask such things which can affect you. 

Showing your budget 

No matter whatever financial cover you have, it’s never good to show off all budgets, a lawyer or an attorney can see his or her own ways to benefit and can extend the legal term that long so it can cost you hard, so it’s always good not to make such a mistake to show the entire budget. 

Allocating criminal charges 

However track record may show you how such an attorney has performed, you may be able to find out criminal charges and it’s better you drop out such person instead of asking to be hired and also claim for criminal charges allocated so it may only make matters worse and may leave you in very close proximity of being punished at court. 

Proving attorney wrong 

Lastly in the process of the case when arguments go on, scrutiny takes place and your attorney fight for you, sometimes the heat of the moment goes up and you make the attorney prove wrong which makes him or her leave the case in the midst and cause you a more heavy lump sum to find a new one, so you have to go well with process and fix prior calls. 

Conclusion

Measures can step in to choose smartly when hiring any such attorney but you need to be tipped by an expert first and for that, you can consider a Grand Rapids & Wyoming criminal defense attorney who can help you search outsmart ones and avoid common mistakes done while selecting the right person. 

However, in DUI cases things can be more complicated, you need experts in a special field to cover elemental mistakes, and to help you further it’s better to consider aid from a Grand Rapids & Wyoming DUI attorney who can help you choose the right person and hire the perfect legal expert for your professional case.

Mike

Find top rated attorneys and law firms profiles with Find Attorneys Directory, the best and free online attorney directory. Guest bloggers can also publish their articles here as other bloggers are doing.

Whether you’re a first timer or a seasoned driver, prescription drug DUI charges can be difficult to defend against. You may be asking, “What are the defenses for Prescription drug DUI in Georgia charges?” Here are a few things to consider.

Legal implications

Taking prescription drugs can be a risky proposition. The effects of some prescription drugs can be similar to those of alcohol. While they may not cause intoxication on their own, they may be detectable in a breath test or urine sample. This can lead to a DUI charge.

Prescription drug DUIs are not a new phenomenon. Law enforcement officers have been paying close attention to these types of cases for some time now. This is good news for the driver in question, because there are legal defenses available. In many cases, a person may not be guilty of driving under the influence of prescription medications, if they were only taking the medications prescribed to them.

A blood test can also reveal if prescription drugs are present in the system. However, the blood test is not the same as proving impairment at the time of the traffic stop. If you are charged with a prescription drug DUI, you should speak to a qualified attorney. A qualified attorney can refute test results and provide a legal defense.

Penalties for a conviction

Taking prescription medications can impair a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle. This can lead to a DUI charge. If you have been accused of driving under the influence of prescription drugs, it is important to consult with a criminal defense lawyer. You may be able to fight the charges and avoid the harsh penalties.

During a prescription drug DUI arrest, the officer may request a blood or urine sample. The sample is then evaluated to determine if you were driving under the influence of the drugs. If you are found to be impaired, the prosecutor may introduce testimony from an expert on drug recognition. The court may also request a separate field sobriety test.

If you are convicted of a prescription drug DUI, you may be subject to a license suspension, fines, and court costs. You may also be required to perform community service, enroll in drug education classes, and undergo substance abuse counseling.

Defenses available

Using prescription medications while driving can be a very expensive mistake. It may involve a fine, loss of driving privileges and even a loss of your job. It also requires an experienced DUI attorney to navigate the perils of the road. Fortunately, there are a number of prescription drug DUI defenses to choose from.

In the drug DUI world, there is no hard and fast rule of thumb as to what constitutes the legal limits. Some states have specific rules governing prescription drugs, and a blood test is not enough to make the grade. For example, a blood test might show a prescription for one drug, but that’s it.

The most important prescription drug DUI defenses to remember are to avoid taking your prescription drugs while driving. Some states have a higher penalty for using illegal drugs while driving. If you have a child under 14 in the car, the penalties may be even harsher.

Symptoms of a prescription drug-related DUI

Whether or not a person should be taking prescription drugs is a matter of opinion. In some cases, drugs can be safe to drive, while in others, they can cause dangerous side effects. Prescription drugs have many side effects that can be dangerous to both the patient and others on the road.

The best way to avoid being arrested for a DUI is to not drive while under the influence of a prescription drug. The same holds true if you are consuming alcohol. Depending on the state you live in, the legal ramifications could include fines, community service, and even imprisonment. Taking prescription drugs can be dangerous, and can be even fatal if not taken properly.

The best way to determine whether or not you should take a prescription drug is to consult with your physician. This is especially important if you take narcotic analgesics. Narcotic analgesics are commonly prescribed in a variety of scenarios. You may need them to treat a condition such as back pain or arthritis, or you may need them for recreational purposes. Your physician should be able to answer your questions and advise you on whether or not your prescription medications are safe to drive.

Possible defenses to a prescription drug DUI charge

Those who are accused of driving under the influence (DUI) of prescription drugs may have several possible defenses. The prosecutor must prove that the driver was impaired and that he or she could not operate a vehicle safely due to prescription drug use.

Many people who take prescription medication have no problems with the drugs. In fact, some people are taking the medications for years without experiencing any negative side effects. If you are charged with a prescription drug DUI, you should seek legal representation to fight the charges.

Prescription drug DUI can be very difficult to prove. In fact, the law enforcement officer may not be aware of the therapeutic levels of the drugs. If the officer is not thorough enough, the defense may be able to raise reasonable doubt in the officer’s credibility.

Mike

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If you have been stopped by the police for drunk driving, you might be wondering what happens if you get a dui in kansas. Whether you’ll spend a night in jail or lose your driving privileges, it’s important to know your rights and the consequences of a DUI conviction.

BAC limits

In Kansas, you are not allowed to drive if you are over the legal limit for alcohol. The BAC limit is 0.08 for people aged 21 and over and 0.04 for commercial drivers. The penalties for driving under the legal limit include up to 48 hours in jail, 100 hours of community service, and the requirement to complete an alcohol education and treatment program. In addition, your vehicle may be impounded for up to one year.

The state of Kansas has zero tolerance for drunk drivers. If you are under the legal age to drive, your BAC is 0.02 percent or higher. If you are found guilty of driving under the legal limit, your license will be suspended for thirty days and you will lose your ability to drive for one year. If you have a history of DUI arrests, the penalties will get worse and harder.

If you get a DUI in Kansas, you will face a harsh punishment. The law defines driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as a class B nonperson misdemeanor, and stipulates that first time offenders will be jailed for 48 hours and can face up to six months in jail. A fine of up to $1,000 will also be assessed. In addition, first-time offenders will be required to complete alcohol treatment and alcohol evaluation.

Jail time

Jail time for a DUI in Kansas is a serious matter. If you are convicted of DUI, the state will require you to spend a minimum of two days in jail and take part in a treatment program. A probation period will also follow the jail time. This is typically two to six months. A Kansas DUI lawyer can help you navigate the process and make sure that you get the best outcome for your situation.

DUI cases in Kansas are thoroughly investigated. A thorough review of police reports, paperwork, in-car police DVD, and supporting documents is necessary. In addition, a blood test is necessary in some cases. Jail time for a DUI in Kansas is determined by several factors, including the circumstances of the case and the validity of the test.

First-time DUI offenses in Kansas are classified as class B misdemeanors. A person convicted of DUI may face a jail sentence of up to six months. They may also have to complete 100 hours of community service. In addition, their license may be suspended. How to obtain and understand Maryland criminal records

Suspension of driving privileges

If you get a DUI in Kansas, you may be facing a suspension of your driving privileges. DUI offenses in Kansas are criminal in nature, which means that you will have to appear in court. A DUI lawyer is an essential component of the legal defense process. The attorney must be knowledgeable about the Kansas DUI laws and the procedures involved in obtaining and defending against a suspended license.

The duration of the suspension depends on your BAC at the time of arrest and whether you have prior DUI convictions. A BAC of 0.8% or less will lead to a 30-day license suspension, while a BAC of 0.15% will lead to a 6-month suspension. If this is your first DUI, you may also have to install an ignition interlock device in your car to avoid driving while under the influence.

If your license is suspended, it is critical to get legal counsel immediately. Many people assume that their license will be automatically reinstated, but this is not the case. The Department of Revenue will not automatically reinstate a license unless you request it.

Diversion agreement

Diversion agreements are a legal way to avoid jail time and the consequences of a DUI conviction. You may not have to appear in court to receive a diversion agreement, but you may have to agree to certain terms and conditions. These conditions include submitting to alcohol evaluations and recommendations from licensed providers.

Diversion agreements may not be the best option for every case. You must be sure to consult an attorney who is experienced in Kansas DUI law. A qualified lawyer will be able to negotiate the most favorable agreement for your case. Diversion agreements are a legally binding contract between the prosecutor and the defendant and are often drafted to favor the government.

When deciding whether or not to enter a diversion agreement, it is important to understand that it may cost you money. Most jurisdictions require that the defendant pay for the diversion fee up front. However, a few will allow you to make payments on the fee. Another important thing to understand is that a diversion agreement does not completely clean your record. Most jurisdictions report diversion agreements to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the repository of all criminal records in the state. Furthermore, your records will remain public for five years after signing a diversion agreement.

Mike

Find top rated attorneys and law firms profiles with Find Attorneys Directory, the best and free online attorney directory. Guest bloggers can also publish their articles here as other bloggers are doing.

Getting pulled over for a traffic violation is always vexing. While the concept is understandable — and is often necessary — sometimes the system can be considered excessive and monetarily based.

For example, pulling over a motorist who is driving recklessly is crucial to keeping people safe. But what about routine stops for people who are allegedly driving a mile or two over the speed limit, or have a broken tail light during daylight hours, or any other technical, minor infraction?

We are not advocating for freely breaking the law. However, a recent New York Times report revealed that a whopping 730 municipalities raise revenue from precisely these types of traffic stops. The question then becomes: are drivers being pulled over for the right reasons?

The Use of Traffic Fines and Fees to Raise Revenue

Using traffic fines to raise revenue is nothing new or unique to a specific jurisdiction. Between 2010 and 2017, a significant portion of city governments in New York State increased their budgets by about 25% as a result of traffic stop fines.

Two examples include the city of Buffalo, where traffic fines accounted for 24% of revenue for the fiscal year 2019 – 2020, and Poughkeepsie, where such revenue accounted for a staggering 46% for the 2019 budget.

Then there is also Valley Brook, Oklahoma, which is a small town of 870 residents. It raises about $1,000,000 a year in revenue from traffic infractions.

Some of these fines can cross the line from routine to flabbergasting. NPR’s economics podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money, investigated such practices. One of the people they interviewed, Orlando, FL resident, Celeste Sawyer, related how she was stopped at a red light, when one of her twins saw a police officer, unbuckled her seatbelt and rolled down the window to say hello to the officer. The police officer then pulled over in front of Celeste’s car and issued her over $1,000 in fines for seat belt ticket violations (one for each of her kids).

Turner County and Norman Park (both in rural Georgia) also rely heavily on revenue raised from traffic tickets to finance their governments. And Governing magazine conducted an analysis on such practices. Their findings indicated that hundreds of small towns significantly rely on traffic fines to fund their budgets.

Relying on these stops to raise revenue sometimes places police officers in an uncomfortable situation.. Once a municipality becomes accustomed to relying heavily on these funds for their annual budgets, law enforcement sometimes will look for even the smallest or most technical of infractions.

On a much larger scale, this issue also affects federal funding, since the federal government provides highway safety grants that reward a high incidence of traffic tickets. These grants come in the tune of $600 million a year. Granted, the funds are not simply awarded to applicants with the highest number of traffic tickets alone. However, they are taken into account to evaluate police performance.

The Problems With These Types of Traffic Stops

Every single day, there are legitimate reasons to pull someone over. Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, weaving in and out of traffic at excessive speeds, trucks carrying excessive cargo. These behaviors put people’s lives at risk.

And that is precisely what society needs: law enforcement that puts public safety as their first priority (as opposed to raising revenue or meeting quotas). When you switch priorities incentivized by budgetary reasons, it encourages harmful consequences, including:

Civil Rights Violations

In theory, people cannot be imprisoned for failing to pay their debts. Creditors can take debtors to court in a civil case. They also have several ways of enforcing judgments — such as garnishing a portion of a defendant’s wages or placing a lien on their property. But when these debts are the result of traffic stop violations, you can get a warrant for your arrest for nonpayment.

This is why, in January 2021, a group called Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed a lawsuit against Valley Brook and three of its public officials. The claim is for alleged unconstitutional debt collection from poor residents.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys in that suit point out how such methodologies of raising revenue have a dire effect — that of sending to jail people who cannot afford to pay them. And this is not a problem just in Valley Brook. This is happening all over the nation.

Traffic Stops that Escalate Quickly

It is no secret that this country has seen its fair share of what were supposed to be simple traffic stops ending with law enforcement shooting a motorist. Things get even uglier when it was a white police officer and an African-American driver. Recent examples include Phillando Castille, Rayshard Brooks, and Daunte Wright. These are just a few instances of traffic stops for minor violations that escalated quickly.

It is easy for people who were not at the scene to point out that if the motorists had followed instructions, they would be alive today. But that oversimplifies the issue and ignores the bigger problem: All of these deaths originated with a traffic stop for a minor infraction, and ended with the shooting of unarmed individuals.

Racial Bias

This is a hot topic, but it would be remiss to discuss the subject at hand without bringing it up. Researchers from Stanford University conducted a study that took a close look at 100 million police traffic stops across 21 state patrol agencies and 29 municipal police departments. That is not a typo. One hundred million. It is a pretty significant sample size. In fact, it is the largest one ever collected.

And here is the unsurprising result: Between 2011 and 2017, police officers stopped minority motorists based on less evidence used to stop white drivers.

By the same token, a recent report issued by the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) warns New York governments against attempting to restore the economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic through traffic fines — since this method is often used to exploit low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

Similarly, after reviewing data from 9,000 cities across the United States, a study conducted by Michael Sances (from the University of Memphis) and Hye Young You (from Vanderbilt University) concluded that using traffic fines and court fees to raise revenue disproportionately affects underserved communities.

This is not a matter of officers being blatantly racist. Few people would readily admit to such behavior — even to themselves. But it does point to the implicit bias and systemic racism that is embedded into many elements of criminal justice.

Raising revenue is an integral part of any government, regardless of its size. However, the main duty of police officers is to protect and serve the community. Balancing the budget sheet should not be a responsibility that is placed on their shoulders — and clearly, there is enough data to showcase the troubling consequences of doing so.

About the author: Matthew J. Weiss, Esq. has a Juris Doctor from Hofstra Law School, where he was a member of the Law Review. Upon graduating in 1987, he became one of the first Hofstra graduates at the New York Court of Appeals (New York State’s highest court). He then went into private practice, focusing on fighting any type of traffic ticket issued in New York.  He eventually reached a level of success in his career where he could focus on areas other than day-to-day operations. This freed up time to pursue other opportunities, such as producing and directing Man in Red Bandana, an award-winning film about an incredible 9/11 hero named Welles Crowther. You can also listen to his TEDx talk about courage.

Mike

Find top rated attorneys and law firms profiles with Find Attorneys Directory, the best and free online attorney directory. Guest bloggers can also publish their articles here as other bloggers are doing.