Alabama Traffic and Speeding Ticket Lawyer
Representing individuals in traffic related offenses has always been a significant part of our practice. We are proud to serve local residents as well as out of state folks who pass through our area on their way to the beach. For over five years, Brennan R. Clifton, Attorney at Law, has handled hundreds of cases involving traffic violations across South Alabama. Many of these cases have involved the following traffic offenses:
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Speeding (1-25mph over speed limit)
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Speeding (25 mph over speed limit)
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Reckless Driving
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Driving while license suspensed
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Operating vehicle without insurance
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No valid Driver License
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Failure to Yield
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Following too closely
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Running red light
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Improper lane change
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Driving under the influence
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Open container
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No visible tag
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Expired tag
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Switched tag
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Operating vehicle without insurance
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Failure to dim
I was pulled over a received a ticket. Am I required to appear in court?
Normally there will be explicit instructions on the citation telling you whether a court appearance is required. For routine tickets you will usually be given an option to plead guilty and pay your ticket prior to the court date. If you wish to dispute your ticket or see if you qualify for driving school, you are required to appear in person or hire an attorney to represent you.
Do I have to appear in court if I hire my own attorney?
No, you do not have to appear if you have hired an attorney. An attorney can appear on your behalf under Rule 9 of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure by submitting a signed waiver through their attorney to the court.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to pay a speeding ticket and plead guilty?
In the short term, yes. But in the long term (within the next three years), No!
This all has to do with your automobile insurance coverage. When you pay the ticket you are pleading guilty to the traffic ticket. This counts as a conviction toward your driving record and will generally raise your automobile insurance premium quite significantly.
According to a 2022 analysis by Nerdwallet.com, car insurance rates increase up to 25% when a person is convicted, or otherwise pleads guilty to a speeding ticket.
Ultimately, how much your rate will increase depends upon your insurance carrier, your automobile policy, the state where you hold your driver's license, and your driving record. Comprehensive data showing how long your insurance rates will stay increased has been compiled by The Zebra, one of the nation's leading authorities in helping individuals shop for automobile and homeowner's insurance.
If I am not a resident of Alabama, how will a speeding ticket from Alabama affect me?
Due to the Driver's License Compact, nearly all of the states, with the exception of Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Georgia, automatically forward a report to the state in which the driver is licensed when they are convicted of a traffic offense.
For example: If person A, who holds an Alabama Driver's License, gets convicted of simple speeding while vacationing in Florida, proof of the conviction is immediately forwarded to Alabama.
Can my license become suspended if I get too many tickets?
Yes. Alabama goes by a "point system" in which each type of offense carries a specified number of points. If a certain number of points is accrued during a two-year period, a person's driver license becomes suspended from a period of 60 to 365 days.
If you have received a traffic ticket in Alabama, contact Brennan R. Clifton, Attorney at Law for a local Alabama attorney who has handled hundreds of traffic cases across Alabama.