Q: My 19 year old son got a speeding ticket for 80 in a 70. Hours later he "ran a stop sign" what can we expect?

A: First, I'm glad you reached out to a website for assistance here as an accident ticket can both be a very MINOR ticket and a very SERIOUS one depending on circumstances. This is because a traffic accident can often form the basis for a civil judgment for damages, particularly when either party is uninsured or the underinsured (think stripmall insurance agencies). Taking proper steps to ensure a criminal offense for traffic does not lend to a question of fault in a civil court is an important decision to make. For this reason, it would be advisable to at least schedule a consultation at least by phone with a lawyer to minimize the risk.

As for what to expect on the speeding ticket, that depends on several factors. Chief among them are the court date you are assigned, the police agency that ticketed you, and the county of each ticket. The short time period between the tickets means that depending on these three factors, they could be in front of the same prosecutor at the same time leading them to believe they arose out of the same incident (which will serve you well).

As for the accident ticket, questions of whether both parties were insured, if one was personally injured, and if both agencies paid out can greatly affect the outcome of this ticket. In many cases, if both parties are insured and well covered, it is not uncommon to see this cases dismissed. That said, if you face a circumstance where dismissal is not an option, it is VERY advisable that you seek an attorney to resolve the case in a way that prevents civil liability from being inferred from the criminal offense of failure to yield.

Lastly, expect him to receive court supervision only if he is going to complete in person traffic school and consider attending yourself as his parent. Often, this goes a long way in helping receive a more lenient result.

Hope that helps and let me know if you have any further questions!