Chicago Traffic Ticket Lawyer

Being pulled over for a traffic ticket is a stressful experience. Most people in Chicago will pay a fine on the spot or after receiving a notification in the mail to avoid any further trouble. However, police officers and traffic wardens know this, which is why they might issue a traffic ticket without sufficient evidence to prove your wrongdoing.

As a citizen of Illinois, you have a legal right to challenge any ticket or violation that you receive. When you pay a fine or receive penalty points, you admit that you violated the law. Although one ticket may not harm your driving record, receiving multiple tickets or violations could cause suspension or revocation of your driver’s license. Without a license, you cannot drive to work, visit family and friends, or carry out daily tasks in your vehicle.

If you have received a traffic ticket in Chicago, contact an experienced attorney to help you dispute the charges in court. The traffic attorneys at Hirsch Law Group have helped many clients get their traffic violations thrown out or reduced substantially. A Chicago traffic ticket lawyer from our law firm will investigate your case and assess whether the ticket is valid. If there is insufficient evidence against you, they will negotiate to get the case dropped. If your license has been suspended, our lawyers will fight to get it reinstated.

Our law firm prioritizes protecting your interests, regardless of the criminal charges you are facing. Our Chicago traffic ticket lawyers believe in protecting your future against any hardship or difficulty.

Call our law firm today at 312-967-0275 to schedule a free consultation.

 

Traffic Offenses in Chicago

Traffic violations in Chicago range from minor speeding tickets to felony charges, such as reckless driving resulting in death. Most Chicago traffic tickets will not result in jail time or a criminal offense, however, they may cause penalty points, fines, and a suspended or revoked license.

Most people that receive a traffic violation in the mail pay the ticket without questioning or contesting it. However, when you pay for a traffic ticket, you admit you broke the law. This admission can have further consequences down the line and may affect your valid driver’s license. Multiple convictions could cause your license to be suspended or permanently revoked.

On top of this, traffic violations can have a negative impact on your insurance premiums. Insurance companies try to get as much money as possible from their clients. If you pay for a traffic ticket and get points on your driving record, they will increase your rates. Penalty points stay on your license for at least five years, so you will have increased rates for a long time. You may also face higher premiums if you try to switch insurance companies.

 

Aggressive Traffic Violation Defense

If you have received a traffic ticket and are required to make a court appearance, it is always best to have a traffic violation lawyer represent you. Convictions on your driving record for something as simple as speeding can result in higher insurance premiums. Multiple convictions can lead to the suspension of your driver’s license.

 

Our Experienced Chicago Traffic Lawyers Defend:

  • Speeding Tickets
  • Speeding in a School Zone
  • Failure to Stop for an Emergency Vehicle
  • Boarding/Exiting School Bus
  • Passing a School Bus while Loading or Unloading
  • Speeding in a Construction Zone
  • Running a Red Light
  • Following too Closely
  • Wrong Way Ticket
  • Unsafe Lane Changing
  • Failure to use Turn Signal
  • Driving with no Insurance
  • Driving on a Suspended License
  • DUI
  • Reckless Driving
  • Intentionally Damaging or Removing a Traffic Sign
  • Traffic Accidents
 

Penalties For a Traffic Ticket in Chicago

Penalties for moving violations vary depending on the type of violation, whether you have previous traffic convictions or penalty points, and minimum fine requirements. Most traffic tickets result in penalty points and fines. However, if you receive a traffic citation for a more serious criminal matter, you could face jail time, court supervision, and a criminal record.

The penalties for common traffic tickets include:

 

Speeding

Drivers are required to abide by the posted speed limit in the area they are driving. Driving over the speed limit can lead to a speeding ticket. The penalties for speeding tickets may vary depending on how fast the driver was going and whether they were driving in a school or construction zone. The penalties for speeding in Chicago include:

  • $120 fine for 1-20 mph over the limit
  • $140 fine for 21-25 mph over the limit
  • $1,500 fine and up to 6 months in jail for 26-34 mph over the limit
  • $2,500 fine and up to 1 year in jail for 34 mph or more over the limit

If another person was injured or killed because of your speeding, you will face further criminal penalties.

 

Speeding in a Construction Zone

Our traffic violation lawyers aggressively defends clients who have received tickets for speeding in a Chicago construction zone.

According to Illinois Law 625 ILCS 5/11-605.1 if you are caught speeding 26 miles per hour or more but less than 35 miles per hour in a construction zone, whether workers are present or not, you could be found guilty of a class B misdemeanor. If speeding of 35 miles per hour or more in excess of the posted speed limit you could be facing a class A misdemeanor.

 

What are the Penalties for Speeding in a Cook County Construction Zone?

If you are found guilty of speeding in a construction zone, there are enhanced penalties. You will face a minimum fine of $250 and a maximum fine of $1000. Upon being found guilty of a second offense of speeding in a construction zone, you will face a minimum fine of $750.

If it has been less than two years from your first violation and you receive a second one, your license will most likely be suspended for 90 days if workers were present.

 

Photo-Enforced Construction Zone Tickets

Photo enforced automated traffic control systems are often present in construction and maintenance speed zones throughout Chicago, Cook County, and surrounding suburbs. Speeding tickets issued by these systems take a photograph of the driver and sometimes includes a short video that can be accessed online. At Hirsch Law Group, our traffic ticket lawyers are experienced in defending clients who have received these tickets.

 

CDL Traffic Tickets

If you hold a CDL license and receive a traffic ticket, it is in your best interest to fight it in court with the help of an experienced traffic lawyer in Chicago to give you the best chance at avoiding a negative mark on your driving record.

Call us immediately if you have received a traffic ticket and hold a CDL license. (815) 451-3200

 

How much do speeding tickets cost in Chicago and Illinois?

  • 20 mph above the speed limit – $120.
  • 21-30 mph above the speed limit – $140.
  • More than 30 mph above the speed limit – $160.
  • Running a red light – $120.
  • Driving with no insurance $500 – $1000
  • Making an illegal turn – $120.
  • DUI – $1500
 

Failure to Stop for an Emergency Vehicle

A failure to stop for an emergency vehicle ticket can be a serious one because if you are convicted, your driver’s license can be suspended for a period of time. This is different than receiving court supervision. You can also face a fine of no less than $250 and a maximum of $10,000 for the first offense.

If your failure to stop for an emergency vehicle results in the injury or death of another person then felony criminal charges may be filed against you. Whenever someone receives a failure to stop for an emergency vehicle ticket, they should have an experienced Chicago traffic lawyer represent them in court.

Hirsch Law Group Handles 1000 cases per year in 12 counties of Illinois. We are experienced criminal and traffic violation lawyers that aggressively fight for our clients. If you have received any type of traffic ticket, your clean driving record could be at risk.

Scott’s Law Violations – If you have been issued a ticket for a violation of Scott’s Law or Failure to Yield to an Emergency Vehicle – We can help defend you in court.

 

Driving Record and Penalty Points

A traffic ticket can cause drivers in Chicago to lose their driving privileges. Convictions for multiple moving violations within one year can cause a suspended or revoked driver’s license. A driver may also receive an automatic license suspension for more serious traffic violations, and the period of suspension will depend on the type of violation you are convicted of.

If a driver over the age of 21 is convicted of three traffic violations within a 12-month period in Chicago, their license will be suspended. The duration of the suspension depends on the number of penalty points that they have on their license:

  • 2-month suspension – 15-44 points
  • 3-month suspension – 45-74 points
  • 6-month suspension – 75-89 points
  • 9-month suspension – 90-99 points
  • `12 month suspension – 100-109 points
  • License revocation – 110+ points

These penalties increase for drivers that are under the age of 21, meaning that minors will suffer from longer suspension periods for fewer penalty points.

 

I’ve Received a Traffic Ticket. What Should I Do?

When you receive a traffic ticket in Chicago, you will either be ordered to pay the fine or appear in court. If you are not required to appear in court, you still have the option to do so. If you decide to plead guilty, you simply have to pay the fine as instructed on your ticket. There will also be an option on your traffic ticket to plead “not guilty” to the charges and contest them in court.

If you want to avoid penalties and a future license suspension, we recommend contacting an experienced traffic attorney as soon as you receive a ticket. A lawyer can advise you on whether you are eligible to get your charges dropped or reduced, assess the evidence against you, and fight on your behalf to prevent penalties. If your license has been suspended because of too many traffic violations and penalty points, a lawyer from our firm will petition to get it reinstated on your behalf.

 

Contact a Chicago Traffic Ticket Lawyer From Hirsch Law Group

Before paying for a traffic ticket in Chicago, think about how this may affect your future. Too many points could cause you to lose your driver’s license, potentially lose employment, and end up with criminal penalties down the line. Even if you have received a minor traffic ticket, you should always exercise your right to criminal defense, and seek legal representation from a Chicago traffic ticket attorney.

At Hirsch Law Group, we have a team of Illinois traffic lawyers that will help you defend against tickets and violations in a traffic court. Our lawyers have years of experience defending Chicago clients against a wide range of criminal and traffic issues, and we have a deep understanding of local laws and policies.

Our team of attorneys has worked as former prosecutors, so we know how both sides of the court work. We will use our unique experience to provide a comprehensive defense strategy for your case and fight aggressively on your behalf in court.

Call our law firm today at 312-967-0275 to schedule a free initial consultation.