Missouri Traffic Ticket Defenses

Missouri traffic ticket defenses are a popular subject with anyone who has ever been pulled over.  Many times there are no witnesses to the alleged crime other than the police officer.  Thus, when the case is in Court the only people available to give testimony about what happened is usually the driver and the officer.  Anyone who has ever seen a traffic trial knows that officer’s are very good at testifying about what they believed happened.  This puts most drivers at a disadvantage in Court because many times they have never testified in Court.  If you choose to challenge your ticket without the assistance of a lawyer make sure you come to Court with something to say other than the cop is lying.

Many people don’t realize that there is no jury in a Missouri traffic ticket trial.  Because the maximum punishment stays below a certain level, a defendant is not entitled to a jury or public defender.  This means that Judge hear testimony from you and the officer and then make a decision about what happened.  If you have been to a Missouri traffic court it becomes very obvious that most defendants that are challenging their case don’t have much to say other than the cop is not telling the truth.  Below are some of the common things that come up in ticket defenses.  Please keep in mind there are many other ticket defenses that are not discussed here.

Challenging Radar

One of the most frequent Missouri traffic ticket defenses is challenging radar.  Radar guns are sensitive devices that require maintenance to be effective.  There are several types of machines currently in use.  They key to challenging radar is knowing what type of information to challenge about the machine.

Ticket Dismissal

Everyone hopes to get their Missouri traffic ticket dismissed.  However, this is a very rare occurrence in Missouri.  To have a ticket dismissed usually requires substantial proof that the violation did not occur.  In fact, most Judges will not dismiss a traffic matter without hearing from the officer in trial.  This means that Judge will force you to roll the dice and have a trial.  Many prosecutors will not dismiss a ticket unless it is clear they will not win at trial.

Driving School

Many drivers elect to go to driving school to avoid getting points on their license.  This requires payment for the driving school class, and can usually completed in 4 to 8 hours.  There are several restrictions on this program and it is typically only available to first time offenders.