New Jersey Traffic Violation Lawyer

Experienced Defense Lawyers Handling Traffic Violations Throughout New Jersey

If you received a traffic ticket in New Jersey, fighting your ticket could mean the difference between paying minimal costs and paying thousands of dollars in state-imposed surcharges and increased insurance premiums. It could also mean the difference between protecting your driver’s license and finding a new way to get everywhere you need to go. Don't face the extensive consequences alone. Let a New Jersey traffic violation lawyer at Helmer Legal prepare your best defense and outline your options.

Our defense lawyers represent clients charged with traffic violations in all New Jersey municipal courts. Whether this is your first speeding ticket or you are facing jail time as a repeat DUI offender, our lawyers will handle your case with the same diligent and detail-oriented approach. We will identify all available grounds for arguing against the charge (or charges) against you, and we will take advantage of all available opportunities to resolve your New Jersey traffic violation case in your favor.

Have You Committed a New Jersey Traffic Violation?

While most people are familiar with common driving offenses like speeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence (DUI), there are numerous other traffic violations under New Jersey law. Most people are not aware of all of the laws that exist; however, this does not provide a defense to culpability. Our defense lawyers have experience representing clients charged with all types of New Jersey traffic violations, including:

Speeding
Careless driving
Commercial driver’s license (CDL) violations
Cell phone violations
Driving on a suspended license
Driving while intoxicated or under the influence (DWI or DUI)
Driving without insurance
Driving without a license
Driving without registration
Improper passing
Improper U-turns
Reckless driving
Red light violations
Stop sign violations
Tailgating
Turn signal violations

Certain traffic violations are penalized on a tiered system in New Jersey, and repeat offenders can face enhanced or additional penalties. For example, speeding up to 14 MPH over the limit carries one point, speeding 15 to 29 MPH over the limit carries four points, and speeding 30 MPH or more over the limit carries five points. The fines and surcharges (and insurance premium increases) go up at each tier as well. Under New Jersey’s point system, repeat offenders can lose their license after as few as three tickets (even if all three tickets are not for the same traffic violation). For serious offenses such as DUI, jail time is a possibility as well, and the fines and other penalties increase substantially for each subsequent offense within a 10-year period.

Even if you know you were violating the law when the police pulled you over, you could still have defenses available. Additionally, by simply entering a not-guilty plea rather than mailing in your fine (which amounts to a guilty plea), you are setting yourself up to be able to negotiate a plea deal for a reduced charge. A New Jersey traffic violation lawyer can help you understand what is at risk and what you need to do in order to protect yourself from years’ worth of unnecessary consequences.

Aren’t Traffic Violations Minor? How Bad Can They Be?

Traffic violations are heard exclusively in municipal court, which means you will not have the chance to plead your case before a jury. But just because traffic violations are heard in municipal court as opposed to superior court does not mean the consequences can’t be significant. The penalties for driving offenses can range from a fine of a few hundred dollars all the way up to substantial jail time and monetary penalties in the thousands of dollars. Points on your driver's license and an increase in your insurance rates are also a concern.

That is just for a single traffic violation. In many cases, the police will charge drivers with multiple offenses. For example, if the police pull you over for exceeding the speed limit while weaving through traffic, you could receive a ticket for speeding and careless or reckless driving. If you passed in a no-passing zone or failed to use your turn signal, you could be ticketed for this additional offense as well. When facing multiple charges, the total fines can be substantial, and you can potentially accumulate enough points all at once for your driver’s license to be suspended immediately.

What Happens in New Jersey Doesn’t Stay in New Jersey – and Vice Versa

Note that moving violations committed outside of New Jersey are added to your New Jersey driving record. New Jersey is one of 45 states, along with the District of Columbia, participating in the interstate Driver License Compact. Members of the compact (which includes every state other than Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) share information about traffic violations issued in their jurisdictions.

This means that if you are from another state and you receive a ticket while driving through New Jersey, the odds are pretty high that the traffic violation will follow you home. That said, it is important that you handle the matter wisely by retaining a New Jersey traffic violation attorney who can protect your rights and appear in court while you are far from the Garden State.

Why Hire a New Jersey Traffic Violation Lawyer?

When you get a traffic ticket, you have a choice to make: Do you simply pay the fine and move on with your life or do you fight the ticket? If you choose the latter, you have another choice to make: Do you hire a traffic violation lawyer to help you or do you try to fight the allegations on your own?

First, you should think long and hard before you decide to pay for your speeding ticket. Paying the fine also means that you are admitting guilt, just as if you were standing in a courtroom before a judge. An experienced New Jersey traffic violation lawyer can frequently reduce the charges against you and reduce the points, fines and other penalties. Sometimes, the reduced charge may not even be a moving violation.

The traffic violation attorneys at Henley, Conley & Kasselman, P.A. are aware of the impact that a New Jersey driving offense can have on your life, whether you live in the state or not. If you lose your ability to drive, so many things you take for granted become huge day-to-day hurdles. Getting to work, picking your kids up from school or soccer practice, running errands, or being able to go on that family road trip – all of these things are at risk if you do not make wise decisions after you have received a New Jersey traffic ticket.

We do everything in our power, using our extensive experience and insights into the nuances of the hundreds of municipal courts throughout the state, to protect our clients from the adverse consequences of a traffic violation. We work tirelessly to keep points off of your record and keep you on the road.

Defenses Against New Jersey Traffic Citations

Dispute the State’s Evidence Against You – Was the radar gun that the police used to clock your speed improperly calibrated? Is there surveillance footage to prove that the police officer’s account of what happened is incorrect? If we can dispute the state’s evidence against you, then you do not deserve to face the consequences of a traffic conviction.
Seek Dismissal or Reduction of Your Charge (or Charges) – If you have been charged with multiple traffic violations, our attorneys may be able to negotiate to have some of the charges dropped. If you have been charged with a more serious traffic offense, we may be able to convince the prosecutor’s office to reduce your charge.
Fight to Protect Your Driving Privileges – There are many potential outcomes to a New Jersey traffic violation case. From negotiating for a less-severe form of punishment to vigorously represent you in municipal court, our attorneys will pursue all options for avoiding costly financial penalties and protecting your right to drive.

Traffic violation cases are far more complex (and they can be far more serious) than most people realize. We take a personal approach to representing clients who have received traffic tickets in New Jersey; and, when you choose our firm to represent you, you can feel confident knowing that you have a team of highly-experienced trial attorneys fighting with your best interests in mind.

New Jersey Traffic Violation FAQs: What Do You Need to Know if You Got Pulled Over?

When do points come off of my New Jersey driving record?

Under New Jersey law, three points are deducted from your driving record each year you go without a traffic violation. However, even if all of your points get deducted, you could still have to pay surcharges, and your insurance company can continue to charge you increased premiums.

What are surcharges?

Surcharges are additional financial penalties that you are required to pay to the State of New Jersey if you accumulate six or more points on your driving record. They start at $150 per year (but can potentially go much higher) and are imposed for three years.

If I know I am guilty, should I just pay the fine and move on?

No. By paying the fine you are pleading guilty to your New Jersey traffic violation, and this can trigger all of the consequences discussed above. In order to protect yourself, you need to enter a not-guilty plea in court and then work with a traffic court defense lawyer to seek to have your charge reduced or dismissed.

How can a defense lawyer help me?

From negotiating a plea deal to challenging the admissibility of the prosecution’s evidence, there are many ways a traffic violations defense lawyer can help you regardless of the circumstances involved in your case. To learn more in a confidential initial consultation, contact us today.

When You Need a New Jersey Traffic Violation Lawyer, You Need Helmer Legal

At Helmer, Conley & Kasselman, P.A., we have over 400 years of combined experience and have helped hundreds of people just like you deal with traffic violations. We have helped our clients reduce the fines, penalties, and points assessed against them. We have also helped prevent license suspensions and jail time. If you have been given a ticket for a driving offense, contact us online to see how a New Jersey traffic violation lawyer can help you or call us at 1-877-HELMER1 (1-877-435-6371) - problem solved. As a top traffic violation law firm, we have offices throughout the state including: Salem, Trenton, Fort Lee, Clark, Freehold, Vineland, Millville and more.