Although every traffic ticket is different, there are numerous ways to fight a speeding ticket. Depending on the speed you were going when pulled over, you can typically pay your fine online to get it over with, or you can go to court to attempt to get the ticket reduced. If you do go to court, there are two options in Nevada to handle speeding tickets. One option is to plead “guilty/no contest,” or the other option is to plead “not guilty.” By pleading guilty or no contest, you are admitting your guilt to receiving the speeding ticket and you waive your right to trial by court. If you are pleading not guilty, you have the decision whether or not to hire a traffic ticket attorney.
Speeding Laws in Nevada
The Nevada Law has four community speed laws, making it illegal to:
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Drive at an unreasonable speed despite traffic, weather conditions, or highway conditions.
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Drive at a speed that could cause serious injury, death, or property damage.
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Drive at a speed greater than the posted speed limit.
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Drive at a speed of more than 80 miles per hour.
Additionally, police officers are generally on high alert for speeding around school or work zones. Speeding in a work or school zone will grant you a more expensive and severe ticket, and could face reckless driving charges. Due to the modern era, many traffic lights have surveillance cameras mounted on them to watch for traffic violations, such as speeding or running a red light. If there is no police presence, you could still receive a speeding ticket in the mail by getting caught on the cameras.
How to Fight the Charges
Depending on the charge and how fast you were going, there are a couple different ways to fight the charges. There are a few common defenses drivers use when trying to fight a speeding ticket, such as the police making a mistake, there was an emergency, or the driver was falsely accused of speeding. If you are stating the police made a mistake, it could be because the officer’s speed radar malfunctioned and tagged you at a higher speed than you were actually travelling. It is highly improbable that the hundreds of speeding tickets given out each day are always accurate. If you are stating there was an emergency, it could be because there was an emergency situation in your life or on the road, and you needed to get to wherever you need to be as fast as possible. If you are stating you were falsely accused of speeding, the defense attorney would need to try to compile evidence to prove that the driver was never actually speeding. If you choose to fight a speeding ticket and use one of these defenses, it is highly recommended that you hire a traffic ticket attorney to gather more evidence to better your chances of getting the ticket reduced, or even dismissed.
Penalties for Speeding
Depending on where you are in Nevada, the fines for speeding can vary. Driving more than 30 mph over the speed limit will result in a misdemeanor, and anywhere up to $1,000 in fines and even 6 months in jail. Although it can happen depending on the speed or how many tickets you have already received, it is unlikely that the judge will sentence a driver to jail for speeding. Receiving a speeding ticket of less than 30 mph over the speed limit typically results as a civil infraction. If the speeding occurred in a work or school zone, the fine will automatically get doubled because it is a protected zone.
Speeding tickets can be very aggravating, and you have the decision whether or not to just pay the fine or fight the charge. It is possible to reduce the speeding violation to a non-moving violation, as the judge determines the final result. Although every judge is different, some judges will be graceful and reduce or dismiss the ticket if the driver has a clean driving record. If you do choose to fight the ticket, hiring an experienced traffic ticket lawyer to help you fight the charge gives you the highest chance of having your charge reduced. At Ticket Busters, our qualified attorneys know the rules of the road best, and have years of experience helping defendants fight their traffic tickets.
