Howard County Traffic Penalties

In Howard County, traffic offenses and speeding are taken seriously, often resulting in penalties. Howard County is known to give tickets. It is also known to be one of the jurisdictions where officers usually appear if an individual has a speeding ticket. It is rare for an officer not to appear and/or not to request that the hearing be moved so that they can show up.

In terms of punishment, an individual is liable to get the points associated with their fines. However, an individual can always appeal or may be able to work something out with the officer beforehand. An experienced Howard County traffic lawyer can speak more towards traffic violations and the consequences that come with them.

Penalties of Traffic Infraction

Howard County traffic penalties are the same as other counties in the state, but the difference with Howard County is the strictness of traffic violations. The laws in Maryland are uniform, but it is the application that would be different in Howard County. The county is stricter in terms of speeding, and the officers often show up at hearings. In other counties, officers may write a ticket but they do not take the time to show up and the tickets are automatically dismissed. It is different from that sense. The punishments are still the same across the state, but law enforcement tends to be more involved in the process of a traffic infraction in Howard County.

Circumstances of Traffic Infraction as Misdemeanor

For a traffic offense to be a misdemeanor, it is any traffic offense that is generally deemed a misdemeanor. They tend to vary from county to county. In Howard County, most traffic offenses are misdemeanors, unless it is a situation in which a car is used in a commission, like a homicide, which steps into the felony range.

Misdemeanors in Maryland are considered a minor traffic offense. Even within the minor traffic offenses, there is a breakdown between a payable offense and a must-appear offense. A payable offense is a minor offense, such as speeding and running a stop sign. It is not punishable by jail time, but there may be points associated with it as well as a fine.

With a must-appear ticket, the person has to show up to court. The person could face jail time, but those fall within the misdemeanor category of Maryland traffic offenses. A felony would be, for example, an individual’s car used in a homicide as opposed to a DUI in which an individual hits someone with their car.

If there was a stolen vehicle involved, it would move a person’s warrant to criminal, because that is a theft issue.

Hiring a Traffic Lawyer

If a person is facing Howard County traffic penalties, they should consult with an attorney immediately. There are many benefits to having a lawyer by your side. It can be reassuring to have someone knowledgeable and experienced to offer you legal guidance about a traffic issue. Call an attorney today to see what they can do for you.