Traffic Tickets/Warrants

When a person is pulled over for a traffic violation, they are required to sign a promise to appear on the citation. This by no means is an admission of guilt but only a promise to appear in court on the date required by the citation. If a person fails to appear (FTA), the court will likely issue a warrant for their arrest. This is a low priority warrant and may take many months before a person is actually picked up. If the warrant is not cleared, it remains on record and under California Law, you will not be able to renew your driver's license until it is taken care of. Additionally, if you are stopped by law enforcement again, they will run your record and you may be taken into custody for the outstanding old warrant.

Attorney Joel B. Hoffman can clear almost all warrants in non-felony cases without requiring you to be present in court. This prevents the judge from ordering you into custody for not taking care of your ticket in a timely manner. Mr. Hoffman can also finalize the underlying infraction with a minimal fine and/or traffic school.

In certain cases, second offender traffic school can be granted. The benefit of attending traffic school, which is only allowed once or twice every 18 months, is that conviction points will not show up on your DMV printout. The California DMV uses a point system and issues from 1-2 points depending on the violation. Insurance companies review the DMV printout to determine insurance rates based on the person's driving record.

You may be at risk of being charged with a misdemeanor Driving on a Suspended License if your California driver's license is suspended due to:

1. high point count situation
2. a dui conviction
3. failure to pay child support or
4. not having insurance at the time of any accident where property damage is greater than $500 to either car or anyone is injured, regardless as to which party is at fault.

This criminal offense carries more serious penalties which may involve fines and jail time.

We have many years experience at clearing warrants, in many cases without the person charged being present in court. Upon clearing your warrant and dealing with the underlying offense, an Abstract of Judgment document can be obtained from the court clerk in order to clear the department of motor vehicle's hold on an individual's drivers license.

Call Hoffman and Associates for
a free case evaluation today!

(562) 628-5541