Franklin County Traffic Attorney
Traffic ticket Attorneys serving Apalachicola, Florida
There are more than 1,000 tickets written in Franklin County, Florida annually. That total includes both non-criminal and criminal violations. DUI and driving with a suspended license made up a majority of the criminal moving violations. Almost 200 of the more than 300 tickets issued for criminal moving violations were issued for driving under the influence and DWLS. The county did not see many tickets issued for reckless driving or hit-and-run, just a total of 26. Of those only 15 were for leaving the scene of an accident.
When it comes to non-criminal moving violations in Franklin County speeding tickets were issued nearly eight times as often as the next most common traffic citation. There were 874 traffic tickets written and 578 were a speeding ticket. That means more than 66% of the traffic violations were speeding tickets. This particular traffic violation far outdistanced the next most common traffic ticket which was careless driving. Just 56 citations were issued for running a red light or running a stop sign.
If you are paying a traffic ticket in Franklin County, Florida you need to pay your traffic fine in Apalachicola, Florida at the Traffic Division located on Market Street. If you are planning on pleading not guilty you must let the Clerk of Courts know that and you will be assigned a date for traffic court. You may also be eligible to handle the ticket by enrolling in an approved traffic school.
Franklin County is located in the Florida panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 11,596 people lived in the county in 2011. The largest cities in the county are Apalachicola and Carrabelle. The county is known for its natural and historic landmarks, including Cape St. George State Reserve, Tate’s Hell State Forest and Orman House/Rainey House of Museums. Franklin County is also home to the lighthouses of Carrabelle and St. George Island.
Traffic Enforcement in Franklin County
A Franklin County traffic lawyer helps you with civil and criminal traffic violations, such as
* Speeding
* Reckless driving
* Driving under the influence
* Improper lane changes
A traffic lawyer works with the Franklin County law enforcement agencies every day, including the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Apalachicola Police Department, Carrabelle Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol. These relationships, combined with an expertise in city, county and state traffic laws, means that a traffic lawyer can
* Explain the traffic violation on your traffic ticket
* Identify technical defenses for your case
* Gather evidence to win your case in court
Know Your Options
Paying your ticket is not always the best solution for you. In addition to the fine, you incur points on your driving record, place your driving privileges at risk and pay higher insurance premiums. A traffic lawyer explains the pros and cons of every option available to you, including fighting your traffic ticket. In some cases, you may be able to attend traffic school to lower your fine, and avoid having points added to your record.
Traffic Violations Threaten Your Driving Privileges
Florida uses a points system to track your traffic violations. Each violation adds a specific number of points to your record. Your insurance company can raise your insurance premiums when you have points on your record. If you have more than 12 points, the state may suspend or revoke your driving privileges. A traffic lawyer works with the court system to settle your traffic ticket with little to no points added to your record.
Increase Your Chances of Winning in Court
The court system in Franklin County is complex, and, if you choose to fight your traffic ticket without a traffic lawyer, you are expected to follow the rules and proceedings of the court. Setting a court date requires several trips to the court house. In Franklin County, traffic court is held at the county court house, located at 33 Market Street in Apalachicola, Florida.
Franklin County is part of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit Court. The county clerk schedules the court date with Circuit Judge Angela C. Dempsey, or County Judge Van Russell. If you fail to appear in court during your scheduled time, you are found guilty of your traffic violation.
You can avoid the hardship of navigating the Franklin County court system by working with a traffic lawyer. Your traffic lawyer schedules your court date, prepares your case and works within the legal system to settle your case outside of court, if possible.
Call our law office today to find out how a traffic lawyer can help you fight your Franklin County traffic ticket.
