Before fighting a traffic violation in Amherst, New York, whatever you do, do not immediately pay the ticket because that is a direct admission of guilt, according to the courts. You should do some research into if you can attend a traffic school, as this can reduce the cost of the traffic violation, or get the ticket dropped altogether.

What you should do if you decide to fight the traffic ticket

If you decide to fight a traffic ticket, one of the easiest ways to win the case is simply to have the officer not show up. As an American citizen, you have a right to question the accuser. You automatically win the case if the officer fails to appear. You can increase your chances of the officer not showing up by postponing the court date and not going with the date on your ticket. This is because police officers usually try to schedule court hearings and other legal proceedings around the same date each month. If you don’t show up within that date, the likelihood of the police officer showing up is slim to none.

Outside of depending on a police officer to not show up on a specified court date, it is best to decide whether to fight a traffic ticket based on how viable the defense is. For instance, if you get a ticket in a non-residential area, the ticket may be rebuked based on the laws in your state. Other common defenses against traffic tickets include questioning the accuracy of the speed calculated or using circumstantial evidence to prove that the officer didn’t have a good vantage point to accurately assess the misdemeanor.