Q: does parent have to be in court for 17 yr olds speeding ticket?
Illinois, second ticket, first in school zone
A:
Yes and no.
Yes, it will be required for parents to appear in court in most counties in order for your child to receive court supervision, the best result possible. That said, to the best of my knowledge, it is possible to have them appear and resolve the case without a parent but it WILL result in a conviction unless it is dismissed.
Court supervision will prevent it from appearing on a public record thus keeping insurance rates from jumping. It will also prevent him or her from having a conviction on their record. Anyone under 21 who receives 2 convictions for moving violations in 24 months WILL be suspended for at least a month, if not more. Supervision can only be attained twice in a 12 month period so it is important to be mindful of this limit and have your son or daughter slow down.
At this point, it is risky to mail in the ticket because many courts have standing rules to deny court supervision by may if you have an offense within the last 12 months. In light of this, I recommend that you appear in court with your child to request court supervision. If the speed was 26 mph over or more, you should immediately contact a lawyer as this offense is not supervision eligible without taking additional steps.
I hope that helps!
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