9.07.2009

Seattle Traffic Attorney | Subpoena the Officer?

Getting a Seattle speeding ticket is probably one of the most annoying things that can happen to you. You have the embarrassment of being pulled over in front of all those people driving by; you have the money lost on the ticket; you have the time lost dealing with the ticket; and you have the money lost on future insurance premium payment increases as a result of the ticket. But you can fight your Seattle speeding ticket. Let the Seattle Traffic Attorney Blog explain how.

Once you decide to fight, however, you will soon find yourself facing this question, "What should I do?" This will include questions about whether or not to subpoena the officer, whether or not to call your own witnesses, and what arguments to make to the judge to try to get your traffic ticket dismissed. And you shouldn't necessarily know what to do. It's not like you're a trained Seattle speeding ticket attorney or anything. But there is hope.

The first question you should ask yourself is if you should subpoena the officer or not. And this is an important question because it can have a big impact on the outcome of your case. If you don't subpoena the officer the court will simply look at the report on the speeding ticket, listen to what you have to say, and rule on that. Sometimes that is good, sometimes that is bad (and, again, it is easier to tell this if you know what you are doing, like Seattle speeding ticket lawyers do.

Whatever you decide to do, you should not decide to subpoena the cop that gave you your speeding ticket in Seattle just because you think they won't show up and you can get your ticket dismissed. Because, while that works, I mean if they don't show up you win, they usually show up. In fact, in Seattle municipal court there are special hearing dates set up specifically for people that decide to subpoena the cops. So, if this is the reason you are subpoenaing the officer, I hope you have a backup plan.

Also, you shouldn't subpoena the officer just to argue with him. Asking him questions like "are you sure it wasn't a different car?" or "could you have been mistaken?" are not going to work. The main reason is that they probably don't remember your traffic stop at all. They are going solely off their report. And if their report says it was you and your car that were speeding, then the officer is going to testify to that and the court is going to believe that. You want to subpoena the officer when you have some information they may not have that may change the situation.

In the end, let's be honest. You probably have no idea when you should subpoena the officer. And if you did, you wouldn't be sure what to ask him and where to attack him with regard to his report and his actions. If you are serious about beating your traffic infraction, you need to hire a pro. You need a Seattle speeding ticket attorney to help you out. They can't guarantee victory, but they can guarantee that your chances of victory will be significantly increased.

Related Posts:
Seattle Traffic Lawyer | Beating Traffic Tickets

Seattle Traffic Lawyer | Use Your Rights