Pumphrey Law
Florida
Leon County Criminal Defense Lawyers
Leon County Traffic Offenses
Ticketed? What to Know About Leon County Traffic Court & More
Are you wondering what to expect at the Leon County traffic court? In this county, the administration of civil traffic infractions is handled by the Leon County Clerk of Court. This applies to traffic tickets such as speeding, or running a stop sign. This does not apply if you have been charged with a traffic crime, such as: reckless driving, driving with a suspended license, driving under the influence; or a more serious felony crime such as fleeing to elude, vehicular manslaughter or DUI manslaughter. If you have been arrested, or charged with a crime like these, you should contact a criminal defense attorney. Our attorneys have years of experience. Let us put our experience to work for you. Call our Tallahassee criminal attorneys at (850) 681-7777 to find out what you need to do today to protect yourself against a criminal prosecution and to keep your driving privileges.
If you have only been charged with a minor civil infraction, you usually can take care of that yourself. Tickets must be paid within 30 days of the infraction in Leon County. If you have received a citation for one of the following you will have a mandatory court appearance as well as the citation fee:
- Load not secured: 316.520(1) or 316.520(2)
- Passing stopped school bus on enter/exit side: 316.172(1B)
- Any citation that resulted in a fatality or serious bodily injury
- Child unattended: 316.6135
- Speeding in excess of 30 MPH: 316.183, 316.187 and 316.189
If you cannot pay your ticket within 30 days, you may participate in a payment program with Leon County.
Aside from paying your ticket, you may also: enter a plea of not guilty and either appear in court or file an affidavit of defense; you may enter a plea of nolo contendere (no contest) at court; enter that same plea via affidavit if you accused of driving without a license, registration or insurance; or you can elect to take Basic Driver Improvement (Traffic School).
You may generally elect to take Traffic School within 30 days of your offense, in order to avoid any points. Information on how the point system works, and online traffic schools can be found here. We also have a couple of in-person traffic schools right here in Tallahassee:
Above all else, drive safe, and if you are worried that there are going to be criminal charges, call our office any time at (850) 681-7777 to set a free consultation with a lawyer today.