Atlanta Criminal Lawyer Blog
I am often asked about how to keep points off of one’s driving record. In my opinion, the real issue is keeping the charges from going on your driving record alltogether. Once an offense is lodged on your driving record, it stays there for life. Many people think auto insurance companies use the points system to determine there rates. They do review your record, but they are more concerned with the offenses that show up versus the points for an offense. For example, A DUI conviction has no points associated with it because it carries an automatic license suspension. You can be sure they will hold it against you even though no points are associated with it.
In the State of Georgia, if you are convicted of a driving offense, points will be added to your record. If you accumulate 15 points in a two year period, you will be subject to a suspension of your license. Georgia Code Section 40-5-57 lays out the points system. Different rules apply if you are under 21 or under 18 years old. If you are under 21 and are convicted of a traffic offense that carries 4 or more points, a licenses suspension will occur. If you are 18 or under, the accumulation of 4 points will result in a license suspension. That means two 2-point offenses will result in a license suspension.
Some people think driving offenses “come off your record” after a certain period of time. This is not true. Everything stays on your driving record for life.
In many cases, a driver may be over-charged or not charged with the correct offense they committed. In these cases I can negotiate with the prosecutor to have your charges modified, reduced or even dismissed. This makes a big difference when it comes time to renew your Georgia auto insurance.
In these times of economic uncertainty, most people charged with violations of Georgia traffic law believe its too expensive to hire an attorney to represent them in traffic court. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish. An experienced traffic court attorney will be able to preserve your good record which will save you handsomely in the long run.
Attorney Thomas C. Nagel will aggressively negotiate the best possible terms in your traffic court case. His thousands of hours of courtroom experience will be utilized in working out a solution to the problems you are facing. Traffic violations will affect the amount you pay for auto insurance. Job opportunities may be jeopardized by certain traffic court convictions.
If you have been been charged with a traffic court violation, you need to get started preparing immediately to achieve the best possible result in your case.
Regardless of how bad you think your case is, BEFORE you face the judge, call Atlanta criminal defense attorney Thomas C. Nagel now at 404-255-1600 to schedule your free consultation.