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What are the most common reasons for hiring a New Jersey attorney? A lot of those reasons involve traffic violations. New Jersey is a notoriously tough place for drivers, with strict driving laws and harsh penalties for violating those laws.
Is it any wonder that so many New Jersey drivers hire attorneys? In New Jersey especially, citations for traffic violations are frequent, but some of those citations are more common than others.
Now, police officers aren’t perfect, and they’re bound to make mistakes just like everyone else. That’s why not every traffic citation is just or deserved. As a matter of fact, people often contest New Jersey traffic citations for this reason. If you’re dealing with a traffic citation and feel like you should dispute it, a New Jersey attorney can help you with your defense.
Below, you’ll find a list of some common traffic violations and some possible defenses for those violations. If any of those violations look familiar to you, or if you need help with another traffic violation defense, feel free to call Leon Matchin for legal counsel.
Leon Matchin often talks to clients about traffic violations. He and his team understand New Jersey traffic laws, drivers’ rights, and potential defenses for those who receive citations.
Traffic Violations – Driving Over the Speed Limit
Speeding citations are one of the biggest reasons why drivers seek a New Jersey attorney. New Jersey is particularly hard on drivers who go above the speed limit, so it’s not hard for drivers to accumulate points fast. Some drivers even face jail time or reckless driving charges.
So, what are some potential mitigating factors for speeding? You might have a mitigating factor if you were speeding because of an emergency. For example, if a loved one had just been admitted to the hospital, it’s understandable that you’d want to get there right away.
Another potential mitigating factor for speeding is a lack of signage. As a New Jersey attorney, Leon Matchin knows that not every road has adequate signage to let drivers know what the speed limit is. In that case, drivers have to rely on the flow of traffic to guess the speed limit.
However, as a New Jersey driver, you know that the traffic flow can get a lot faster than the speed limit allows. If the road where you were pulled over didn’t have adequate signage, and you had to rely on other drivers to guess the speed limit, it’s possible that you were doing your best to drive safely and just had no way of knowing what the legal speed limit actually was. In that case, you might point out that fact against your speeding citation.
Driving Through a Red Light or Stop Sign
Running a red light or a stop sign is another common citation in New Jersey. Drivers have used several defenses to contest these citations.
A good New Jersey attorney will know that police officers who make these citations don’t always have the best view of the incidents in question. Unless the officer who pulled you over could clearly see both your car and the red light or stop sign, they may have pulled you over based on an assumption.
In the case of stop sign citations, not all stop signs are clearly visible. In some cases, stop signs get hidden by bush overgrowth when a city neglects to take care of its property. If you ran a stop sign because you couldn’t see it, you might have a viable defense in court.
Also, we can check with the Department of Transportation if the sign or light was approved by the State because that’s an affirmative defense to the charge that will get it dismissed if it was not.
Failure to Signal
The next common traffic violation is the failure to signal. When drivers neglect their turn signals, other drivers can’t discern their intentions to turn or switch lanes.
Sure, some drivers fail to signal due to carelessness or forgetfulness, but that’s not always the case. For example, a driver may physically switch their turn signal on, only to realize that the light has gone out. If an officer happens to be behind that driver, then the driver may receive a citation. If that situation happened to you, then you might point this out in your defense.
You might also have a defense if the officer didn’t have a good view of your car’s signal light during the incident. Again, the angle makes a difference. You can only guarantee that the officer clearly saw your signal light if the officer’s car was directly behind yours and if the weather was clear. Otherwise, the officer may not have seen your turn signal even if you did use it.
Moreover, if the car behind is more than fifty feet away there’s no obligation to signal.
Knowing Your Rights With a New Jersey Attorney
As a driver, it’s always important to know your rights. This is true no matter where you live, but if you’re a New Jersey driver, then you should be especially aware. Again, this state can be tough on drivers, even when they have legitimate defenses for traffic violations.
If you want to contest a traffic citation in New Jersey, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to hire a New Jersey attorney. When you hire an attorney, you’ll have someone on your side who knows the law and knows your rights. Without an attorney’s help, the legal system may take advantage of the laws that you don’t understand. You have the right to an attorney, so don’t throw that right away.
New Jersey Attorney Leon Matchin Can Defend You Against Charges of Traffic Violations
Are you looking for a New Jersey attorney? Leon Matchin and his legal team are here to help. Here at Leon Matchin’s law firm, we understand traffic laws. We make sure that our clients know their rights in court.
We also take the time to get to know our clients and their cases. If you’ve been cited for a traffic violation and want legal advice, get in touch with Leon Matchin today at 732-887-2479 or [email protected]. Let’s take a look at your case together and examine your possible defenses.
It’s never pleasant to deal with a traffic citation. Leon Matchin’s team is here to keep you informed so that you can seek your best outcome in court.
