Penalties of a Caroline County Traffic Offense
Traffic infractions, by law, are non-jailable offenses, so they only carry the penalty of a fine. However, as far as the Department of Motor Vehicles is concerned, every time a person is convicted of a traffic infraction, they can ultimately get points added to their license.
After a certain number of points are assessed to the individual’s license, depending on their age and time of driving, they may be forced to take mandatory driver improvement courses in order to protect their license and keep it from being suspended.
To further discuss any penalties that may be present in your Caroline County traffic offense, contact an attorney as soon as possible. An experienced traffic lawyer in Caroline County can help an individual understand the specifics of their charge.
License Suspension
If the individual does not follow up with a driver improvement course, their license can be suspended. If a person is caught driving after their license is suspended, then an individual can be looking at a major crime, which can carry up to 12 months in jail depending on the reason for the suspension.
Although infractions are not jailable, they do carry points. Points can lead to suspensions, and suspensions can lead to new charges which do carry jail time. Infractions themselves are not misdemeanors or felonies, but they can lead to misdemeanors and felonies. The penalties can add up quickly with a Caroline County traffic offense.
Avoiding a Suspension
Even a minor infraction can lead to a suspension if somebody is under the age of 18. However, if a person is over the age of 18, if they receive 12 points within a 12-month period or 18 points within a 24-month period, then they are going to be in the similar situation. The individual must do a driver improvement class within 90 days. If a person does not do so, then their license automatically gets suspended.
If a person does not hire a lawyer, they are going to accumulate points. After a person accumulates these points, their license will be suspended. Such penalties of a Caroline County traffic offense can be easily avoided by contacting legal counsel.
Demerit Point System
Whenever an individual is dealing with traffic infractions and certain traffic crimes in Caroline County, there is a demerit point system involved. The points are awarded for infractions and violations depending on the severity of that offense. An individual’s points normally break down in three, four, or five points at a time.
Traffic offenses such as speeding one to nine miles per hour over the posted speed limit, failure to obey a traffic sign, and infractions along those lines are going to lead to three points on a person’s license. Four-point offenses are offenses such as speeding 10 to 14 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, following too closely, or being charged with aggressive driving.
Six-point demerits could result from class one misdemeanors, which include reckless driving by speed, reckless driving in general, and reckless driving by racing. DUIs and driving on a suspended license charges are also six points. That is the way the demerit point system breaks down when an individual is dealing with some of the most common traffic infractions and violations.
Contacting an Attorney
If a person is concerned about having points on their record, they should contact an attorney immediately. The reason being that point accumulation can lead to license suspension. A person is going to want to follow up with a lawyer to help figure out where they are point-wise, what they can do, what they cannot do, and what is going to be the proper procedure moving forward.
Per the DMV, there are certain situations in which a certain number of points can lead to issues. For example, if somebody is under the age of 18 and they receive any demerit point violation, then they are required by the DMV to complete a driver improvement course. They must do so within 90 days of any conviction.
If a person receives 18 points within 12 months, or 24 points within 24 months, then a person is automatically suspended for 90 days. A person does not even have an opportunity to complete a driving improvement course. Understanding the point system, understanding where an individual falls on the point system, and understanding how to keep themselves out of trouble are all things that a lawyer is going to help a person do to protect their license.
An attorney can keep a person from not only avoiding jail depending on what the charge is, but also to keep those points low and keep a person out of a significant point range. This can lead to the suspension of a license.
