Traffic violation procedures
in Criminal and Misdemeanor Law ·
Hi everyone!
I’m looking for a little perspective or maybe some advice here. This past Friday, I headed out of town for a launch event at this restaurant—it was only about a three-minute drive from where I was staying, but the place was tucked away in the middle of this dense woods/park area with zero buildings or streetlights nearby. Someone actually warned me not to leave my car with out-of-state plates parked there overnight, so even though I’d had a few glasses of wine, I decided it would be smarter to drive it back to a well-lit spot right in front of my hotel. Anyway, I ended up getting pulled over by the police just a couple hundred yards down the road. The breathalyzer came back at 0.74. They took my driver's license for a day and told me I’d receive the official decision through the mail in two or three weeks. Looking at the law, it seems like I’m facing two points on my record and a fine somewhere between 1,000 and $0.67. I’ve been driving for five years now and, honestly, I’ve never had a single ticket or any legal trouble before this.
I was wondering if anyone has dealt with something similar? Does it make any sense to file an appeal or ask for a reduction in the fine, considering my clean driving record up until this point? Also, is there any possibility of doing community service to offset part of the penalty?
One more thing—if anyone knows whether that official notice arrives via certified mail or just standard post, I’d really appreciate the heads-up.
I’m looking for a little perspective or maybe some advice here. This past Friday, I headed out of town for a launch event at this restaurant—it was only about a three-minute drive from where I was staying, but the place was tucked away in the middle of this dense woods/park area with zero buildings or streetlights nearby. Someone actually warned me not to leave my car with out-of-state plates parked there overnight, so even though I’d had a few glasses of wine, I decided it would be smarter to drive it back to a well-lit spot right in front of my hotel. Anyway, I ended up getting pulled over by the police just a couple hundred yards down the road. The breathalyzer came back at 0.74. They took my driver's license for a day and told me I’d receive the official decision through the mail in two or three weeks. Looking at the law, it seems like I’m facing two points on my record and a fine somewhere between 1,000 and $0.67. I’ve been driving for five years now and, honestly, I’ve never had a single ticket or any legal trouble before this.
I was wondering if anyone has dealt with something similar? Does it make any sense to file an appeal or ask for a reduction in the fine, considering my clean driving record up until this point? Also, is there any possibility of doing community service to offset part of the penalty?
One more thing—if anyone knows whether that official notice arrives via certified mail or just standard post, I’d really appreciate the heads-up.