Why Counsel?

TRAFFIC TICKETS ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS

They can result in fines, court costs and points being placed against your driving record. But once you get traffic tickets, what should you do?

If you pay the citations without going to Court, you get convictions on your record and points from the Motor Vehicle Administration. If you get enough points, your license can be suspended or even revoked, seriously impacting your ability to work, attend school, or perform everyday errands.

If you don’t pay them and don’t go to Court, your license will automatically be suspended. Get caught driving while suspended or revoked and you could go to jail.

You could go to Court unrepresented, but without an attorney, would you know how to effectively defend yourself? Would you even know whether the State could prove its case?

Traffic Ticket Defense Center can help. Each year since 1993, Traffic Ticket Defense Center has represented hundreds of drivers and has helped them avoid points, fines and sanctions at the Motor Vehicle Administration. In most instances a Traffic Ticket Defense Center attorney can resolve your tickets without you even having to appear in court.

POINTS

In Maryland, the Department of Motor Vehicles assesses points for moving violations. These points are effective for two years from the date of the violation.

Click here for a full table of points.

ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS

Accumulating points within a two-year period subjects a person to additional sanctions by Motor Vehicle Administration. A person receives a warning letter after accumulating 3 points and must attend a point system conference if he or she accumulates 5, 6 or 7 points. In most instances, the Motor Vehicle Administration is authorized to suspend the license of a driver who accumulates 8 points, and revoke the license of each driver who accumulates 12 points.

A first-time suspension may not be for less than 2 days or more than 30 days. Any subsequent suspension must be for at least 15 days and not more than 90 days. Points accumulated due to alcohol convictions carry a first time suspension of not more than 6 months. On a second conviction less than 5 years after the first, or on a third conviction, the Motor Vehicle Administration imposes a suspension of up to 12 months. For a fourth or subsequent conviction, the suspension can be up to 24 months. A restricted license may be issued to a person who participates in an Ignition Interlock Program.

If the suspension or revocation of a license would affect adversely a person’s employment or opportunity for employment, the Administration may decline to order the suspension or revocation or cancel or modify the suspension or revocation.

A professional driver must attend the point system conference if he or she accumulates 8 points. If a licensee is required to drive a motor vehicle in the course of his or her regular employment, suspension requires 16 points and revocation requires 19 points.

FINES AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES

The Maryland Legislature has established the amount of fines for payable, non-incarcerable motor vehicle violations. Payment of the fine without standing trial guarantees the imposition of points by Department of Motor Vehicles. If a person elects to come to Court instead of paying the pre-set fine, a Judge may impose a fine of up to $500. However, in certain instances, a Judge can grant a disposition that prevents the assessment of points.

Convictions on the following violations carry a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment for up to 2 months or both:

Convictions for renting a motor vehicle with incorrect odometer, having regrooved tires, tampering with or altering an odometer, or for prohibited acts involving the inspections of used vehicles and warnings for defective equipment carry a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment for up to 6 months or both.

Any person who is convicted for transporting hazardous materials is subject to, for a first offense, a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months or both; and for any subsequent offense, a fine of up to $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both.

A person is subject to a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment for up to 1 year or both, on a conviction for possession of motor vehicle master key.

A person convicted of fraud in making an application for a certificate of title or vehicle registration, overtaking and passing a school bus, reckless driving, or speeding in a school zone is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000.

A person who is convicted of driving while license is canceled, suspended, refused, or revoked, knowingly allowing an uninsured vehicle to be driven or providing false evidence of required insurance is subject to, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both; and for any subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or both.

A person who is convicted of driving while license unlicensed is subject to, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $500, or imprisonment for not more than 60 days, or both; and for any subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $500, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both.

A person convicted of operating as a vehicle salesman without a license required or operating an automotive dismantler, recycler or scrap processor without a license is subject to, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months or both; and for any subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both.

Some violations carry a mandatory minimum penalty including "imprisonment", defined as confinement in an inpatient rehabilitation or treatment center; or home detention with electronic monitoring while participating in an alcohol treatment program that is certified by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a similar agency or otherwise approved by the court. These offenses are mostly repeat alcohol and controlled dangerous substances matters.

In most instances, a person convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol or controlled dangerous substance, for a first offense, is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both; for a second offense, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $2,000, or imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or both; and for a third or subsequent offense, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $3,000, or imprisonment for not more than 3 years, or both.

Any person convicted of transporting hazardous materials, failure to obey signs to stop for a diesel emissions test, failure to obey signs to stop for inspection, operating overweight vehicles or violating motor carrier safety violations is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for a first offense; not more than $2,000 for a second offense; and not more than $3,000 for a third or subsequent offense.

Any person convicted of speeding in a highway work zone is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000.

A person convicted of failure to remain at the scene of an accident resulting in bodily injury or death is subject to a fine of not more than $3,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both if the accident resulted in bodily injury to another person and a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment for not more than 5 years or both if the accident resulted in the death of another person.

In most instances, a conviction for fleeing or eluding police carries, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both; and for any subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or both. A conviction for fleeing or eluding resulting in bodily injury to another person carries a fine of up to $5,000, or imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both. A conviction for fleeing or eluding that results in a death of another person carries a fine of up to $5,000, or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.

Some alcohol violations occurring while transporting a minor carry, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months or both; and for a second or subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both. Other alcohol violations occurring while transporting a minor carry, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than 2 years or both; for a second offense, a fine of not more than $3,000 or imprisonment for not more than 3 years or both; and for a third or subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $4,000 or imprisonment for not more than 4 years or both.

Driving a commercial motor vehicle while not authorized to do is a misdemeanor and carries the possibility of imprisonment for 5 years or a fine of $10,000 or both.

Driving a commercial motor vehicle while not in possession of a valid commercial motor vehicle driver’s license carries, for a first offense, a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months or both; for a second offense, a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both; and, for a third or subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $3,000 or imprisonment for not more than 2 years or both.

Any person convicted of knowingly or fraudulently obtaining a commercial driver’s license is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to imprisonment for 5 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both.

Any person driving an improper class of commercial motor vehicle, or driving a commercial vehicle without required additional endorsements is subject to for a first offense, a fine of $500 or imprisonment for not more than 2 months or both; for a second offense, a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months or both; and for a third or subsequent offense, a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment for not more than 1 year or both.

Any person convicted of driving a commercial motor vehicle on the sidewalk in Anne Arundel County is subject to for a first offense, a fine of $100; for a second offense, a fine of $250; and for a third or subsequent offense, a fine of $500.