If you want to fight a traffic ticket, like speeding and running red lights, you may end up in court. You will not have a jury (these trials are referred to as bench trials), and while every case is different, you can expect a few universal things in Traffic Court.
Traffic court is quite different from criminal court, which typically is reserved for felonies and misdemeanors only. Minor traffic violations are considered crimes, but they are not handled like one in a courtroom. This type of court is usually less formal, and you may see people representing themselves. However, we recommend a Miami traffic ticket lawyer to help represent you if you end up in court. Since traffic violations are mostly minor infractions, people walk away with fines, not jail time.
Government evidence will be presented, which is more often than not the testimony of the officer who issued the ticket. The defendant is you, and the prosecutors are the state, but there are no prosecutors in some states. The defendant will get the chance to cross-examine the officer and ask their own questions, as well as present their own evidence that supports their case. Then, the judge will decide on whether the defendant is guilty or not.
If found guilty, you will have to pay fines and sometimes go to traffic school to correct the offense.
If your case was dismissed or you granted withheld adjudication, a Miami expungement attorney may be able to help your seal or expunge these charges, even for minor offenses such as traffic violations.