The most common way people have contact with our legal system in the Chicago area involves Illinois traffic tickets. If so, it is in your best interest to speak with an experienced Illinois traffic ticket lawyer as soon as possible. Many people do not consider traffic violations to be serious, believing that only a fine is involved. But moving violations in Illinois can affect your driving record, insurance rates and can result in a suspended driver's license. Once suspended, it is a jailable crime in Illinois to drive, which can make it extremely difficult to get to work, go to school, shop for basics like food and have any type of social life. A Chicago area traffic lawyer can help make a significant difference.
Traffic Tickets in Chicago and surrounding areas
If you have received a traffic ticket or citation in the Chicago area, we can help. We have experience helping people fight traffic tickets stemming from a wide variety of traffic violations and offenses, such as:
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Driving under the influence - called DUI in Illinois
- Aggravated speeding (26 MPH over or more)
- Disobeying a traffic control device (Running a red light or stop sign)
- Failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident
- Improper lane usage (In Chicago - failure to keep within lanes)
- Reckless driving
- Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle (Scott's law violation)
- Driving without a license
- Driving with a suspended license (DWLS) or Driving while revoked (DWLR)
- Driving without liability insurance
- Failure to yield to a pedestrian
- and more . . .
How can an attorney help?
Depending on your ticket, you could face more than just fines and penalties posted to your driving record. Many traffic offenses require appearance in Illinois traffic courts, which takes time out of your day:
- Without an attorney, you may spend hours in court waiting for your case to be heard.
- Fines in petty offenses are up to $1000 and in misdemeanor offenses are up to $2500 plus court costs. Attorneys can negotiate with prosecutors or argue to the Court why your fines should be lower.
- While sending your ticket in for traffic school sounds attractive, traffic school in Illinois means you spend between 4 and 6 hours of your life on a momentary lapse of attention.Traffic school doesn't mean your traffic ticket is "off your record" - you're found guilty, placed on supervision, fined, and it's all conditioned on you completing traffic safety school or a Driver Improvement class.
- More serious traffic violations could also cost you your driver's license, and even result in probation, imprisonment, and community service.
- If you accept traffic school or a conviction without a court appearance, you give up the opportunity for dismissal or a finding of not guilty.
- Any time you appear in Traffic Court in the Chicago area, it should be with professional representation by a skilled Illinois traffic lawyer.
We are experienced Illinois Traffic ticket lawyers committed to helping our clients deal with their traffic tickets in the best way possible. The opportunity to help our clients obtain the best results possible on a daily basis is what defines our law office. We have extensive knowledge of the intricacies of Illinois traffic violation laws and decades of experience appearing before Judges and dealing with prosecutors throughout Cook county, DuPage county and Lake county courts. Call on Fagan, Fagan & Davis when you need help with a traffic ticket in Chicago or the surrounding areas.