How Can a Conviction on Your Driving Record or a Criminal Record Of Arrest Affect You?

While many of us tend to be fairly laid-back regarding traffic violation offenses, the truth is these relatively minor infractions of the law can cause you significant levels of grief down the road. This is the way your traffic ticket generally evolves over time: You see the flashing lights in your rearview mirror and are filled with dismay to realize you are being pulled over by a city of Houston police officer. Perhaps you were exceeding the posted speed limit, slid through a stop sign, forgot to renew your inspection or registration sticker, or you committed any number of other relatively minor traffic infractions. You signed the ticket and returned home, fully intending to either pay the fine or appear before a City of Houston judge to plead your case. Then—as so often happens in our busy lives—you forgot to pay your fine or appear in court and next thing you know there is a city of Houston warrant for your arrest. Suddenly that relatively harmless traffic ticket has turned into a very serious issue.

Should You Pay Your Tickets and Fines?
Of course your first instinct is to simply rush down to the court and pay your fines or mail in a check and hope for the best. While either of these solutions will probably take care of the City of Houston arrest warrant with your name on it, they will also leave you with repercussions which could follow you for years and years to come. First of all, once you pay your Houston traffic ticket you have effectively pled guilty to the original offense, and you now have a conviction on your permanent driving record. The problem with those convictions on your driving record lies primarily in the points which go along with each conviction.

In the state of Texas, a moving violation such as running a stop light, neglecting to have a current sticker, speeding or any number of other traffic offenses will garner you two points on your Texas driving record. A moving violation which caused injuries to another will place three points on your driving record. Once these points add up to more than six, you could have some significant problems to deal with. First of all, you could end up having your driver’s license suspended due to the number of points on your driving record which can be a real problem when you depend on your vehicle to get you to work, school or any number of other places you regularly go.

Secondly, the state of Texas will begin adding surcharges once your points exceed six. These surcharges are fees which must be paid each year, for three years or more, and can amount to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Next, once you have accrued a certain level of points on your driving record, it is highly likely your insurance premiums will increase, and in some cases your company may even drop you completely. Once your insurance has been dropped, it can be difficult and financially prohibitive to find another insurance company to cover you. Finally, if your employment is dependent upon a commercial driver’s license you may find your job in jeopardy as well. As you can see, writing out the check may sound like the easiest course of action, but in the long run it may be the worst thing you can do.

The Effects of a Criminal Record of Arrest
Although it is considered a misdemeanor crime, a traffic ticket is nonetheless a criminal offense. Should a Houston warrant be issued for your failure to appear or your failure to take care of your traffic ticket and you are unfortunate enough to actually be arrested, your problems are compounded. Aside from the embarrassment of being arrested in your home, place of work or school, you now have to deal with a criminal record of arrest. Even though it was for a fairly minor infraction, you may now find yourself in the unenviable position of explaining to prospective employers why you were arrested. In short, a simple City of Houston traffic ticket can turn into years and years of expense, trouble getting the job you want, and an inability to remain insured.

Here’s the good news: the fallout from that first traffic ticket can be largely avoided simply by consulting an attorney in Houston, TX who has the experience and knowledge to not only post a bond on your behalf, removing the threat of arrest, but who will be able to plead your case on the original ticket with a goal of avoiding a conviction. Don’t wait until that one little traffic ticket has snowballed into a huge, expensive mess. Call a traffic ticket attorney today!