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.

How to Beat a Traffic Ticket in Court

In most cases it is more advantageous for you to go to court and challenge your traffic ticket than to simply write out a check and pay your fines. While paying the fines for your traffic tickets may seem like the path of least resistance, that one action can have many unexpected repercussions down the line. There are a few tips that you can remember should you ever need to beat a traffic ticket in Houston and they begin with your attitude toward the police officer when you are stopped.

Don’t Admit Guilt—and Remain Polite
While it may make you feel better to express your indignation or anger, it will rarely help you out. Be polite and cooperative and you just might get a ticket for a less costly offense, or even just a warning. If you insist on being nasty, the officer may make note of it, and the prosecutor will be less likely to consider a deal when you appear in court. Avoid any admission of guilt and stifle the impulse to make excuses or create unbelievable stories about why you were speeding or committing any other traffic offense.

Dealing With the Police Officer
One thing you may want to do is politely ask the police officer how you can pay your ticket through the mail—even if you have no intention of doing so. This gives the officer the idea that you are unlikely to go to court to plead your innocence and he or she may take fewer notes. Then when you challenge the ticket the officer is at a disadvantage due to the sparse nature of his notes and recollection.

You could also go the alternate route and ask the police officer an entire litany of questions—politely, of course. You could ask where the officer was positioned and what type of radar detection device he or she used. Ask for as many details as possible, down to the serial number of the device, and make a note of the officer’s license plate and badge number. While this won’t make you particularly popular with the officer, it may give you an edge when you get to court, and in some instances the officer may not even show up, meaning your ticket will be dismissed.

What it Really Costs to Miss a Court Date

So, you received a traffic ticket, possibly for exceeding the speed limit or not stopping completely at a stop sign. It seems a relatively minor issue, so you stick the ticket in a drawer or your purse intending to take care of it as soon as you get a moment. Your court date comes and goes, and soon you have entirely forgotten about the traffic violation. What you are probably unaware of is you have now committed a separate criminal offense in Texas known as Failure to Appear which resulted in a warrant for your arrest.

Because the original incident did not seem all that serious, you are shocked and scared to find yourself being arrested on a Houston arrest warrant. Most people are unaware that a simple traffic ticket can lead to an arrest, possibly in front of their family or even worse, at work in front of their boss and co-workers. The first cost of missing your court date has just been realized and it is an emotional one. You are likely embarrassed and humiliated that others saw you arrested, and you are anxious, not knowing what you must do to get extract yourself from your present situation in the best manner possible.

Posting a Harris County Traffic Bond
Once you have been arrested, you are now liable for the original fines for your traffic offense as well as the fines for your Failure to Appear charge which can go as high as $500 plus any associated court costs. Should you be lucky enough to have escaped arrest at this point but are aware there is a Harris County arrest warrant out for you, it is imperative to retain an attorney immediately in order to avoid being arrested and having further charges levied against you.  In either case, you will be required to post a Houston traffic bond which you can do yourself, or you could choose to go through a local bonding company or your attorney.  At this point you are probably well aware that the fees and fines are stacking up at an alarming rate. Once you’ve posted your City of Houston bond you will be required to go before a judge at which time a new court date will be set. It would be extremely unwise to miss this court date as that would add trouble upon trouble.

Red Light Cameras A Hot Topic in Houston

Red Light Cameras A Hot Topic in Houston

By Megan Breckenridge, Staff Writer
SULLO & SULLO, LLP

The topic of red light cameras in Houston has been a hot one since the City began employing them at major intersections on September 1, 2006. Proponents of the program hold that its main purpose is to decrease the number of red light runners and reduce collisions, while those in opposition argue that it’s aimed at making money for municipalities rather than improving traffic safety.