Criminal Law and Traffic Citations

• In the state of Mississippi, paying a traffic citation fine prior to your court date is effectively pleading guilty to the alleged violation and therefore will appear on your driving record as such. Be sure to check whether your citation has a mandatory court appearance. Failure to respond to a citation by the due date may result in additional penalties and fines. 

• The state of Mississippi does not participate in a driver point system;  however, they can decide to suspend or revoke your license at any time should they feel you have received too many traffic offenses within a 12-month period, or if you commit a major traffic offense. 

• On top of possibly losing your driving privileges, your vehicle’s insurance carrier is likely to increase your premium each time you receive a traffic citation. Most insurance carriers monitor your driving record and will increase your premium if they feel that you are an at-risk driver. In the state of Mississippi, most traffic violations stay on driving record for three (3) years while more serious violations may stay on there for five (5) years. 

• Traffic violations that go on your driving record are accessible to potential employers as well. 

• In the state of Tennessee, paying a traffic citation before your court date can be deemed as an admission of guilt. This means you are pleading guilty to the traffic violation(s) you were cited for, and this will appear on your driving record. Be sure to check whether your citation has a mandatory court appearance. Failure to respond to a citation by the due date may result in additional penalties and fines. 

• Most Tennessee traffic violations will result in driver improvement points being assessed against your driving record. A driver who accumulates six (6) points within a 12-month period will be sent a warning letter, and a driver who amasses twelve (12) or more points in a 12-month period risks having their driver’s license suspended. In the state of Tennessee, points assessed to your driver’s license stay on record for two (2) years! 

• Insurance companies also consider traffic tickets as strikes against you. This can result in significantly higher insurance rates or in some instances cancellation and refusal to insure you in the future. 

• Traffic violations that go on your driving record are accessible to potential employers as well. 

To learn more about how the Tennessee Department of Safety assigns “driver improvement points” to your driving record click here.

What do I do if I receive a traffic citation?

If you have recently received a traffic citation, we recommend that you DO NOT  try to handle it yourself by paying fine before your court date. Instead, contact our office to have one of our experienced traffic ticket attorneys review your citation over the phone and determine the best course of action. It is important that you contact us before the court date shown on your citation. Failure to respond to a citation by the due date may result in additional penalties and fines.

Our highly skilled attorneys are experienced in handling the following, and more: 

• Speeding
• Proof of Insurance
• Registration
• Reckless Driving
• Texting and Driving
• Failure to Yield 
• Seatbelt Violations

I don’t have time to go to court to fight my ticket.
Why can’t I just pay it?

We understand that your time is valuable, and we can help you avoid the stresses of having to take time off work to attend court, parking hassles, or having to follow up with the court regarding dismissal of a citation. When you hire one of our qualified attorneys, we handle everything for you. In many cases, we can help get your ticket dismissed* and reduce the overall impact to your driving record. In most situations, you can retain one of our attorneys and have your citation completely taken care of without having to step foot in our office or appear in court. Just email us your ticket, and we will handle the rest! 

*Hiring an attorney from our office only guarantees that an attorney will appear on your behalf for your scheduled court date(s) and conduct any negotiations with the prosecutors. Any duties required to have your citation dismissed by the court (ex. driving school, paying court costs, complying with probation requirements) will be your responsibility. Failure to complete court requirements for dismissal can result in further fines or penalties. 

Isn’t hiring an Attorney expensive?

In most situations, you can hire one of our qualified attorneys by paying a small, one-time attorney fee. This one-time fee is usually much less than what your new insurance premiums could cost you if the traffic violation shows up on your driving record, or the reinstatement fees you could pay if your driving privileges are lost.