Q: I received a ticket or speeding 35+ the legal limit on I-55. What should I do and what happened next?
I have a court date scheduled for July 30th in Will County
A:
Hello Asker,
You are facing a ticket for an offense that is a class A misdemeanor. It is punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a fine up to $2,500. Additionally, this speed is, by statute, not eligible for court supervision meaning that it is VERY likely to negatively impact your license and has the potential for suspension. Because it is a jailable offense, the court is extremely likely to ask you to return to court with a lawyer if you do not appear on the first date with one. This will spare you needing to take another day off work as well as speeding up your time in court on the 30th. The reason being that Joliet's misdemeanor courtrooms are very busy and it is not unusual to wait up to 3 hours for your case to be resolved. With an attorney, your case can get called as soon as the attorney would like minimizing the amount of time needed to take off work. Often times, my clients find this time saving helps greatly cover the cost of an attorney which will ultimately be needed to resolve this offense plus you receive the benefit of their counsel.
For the above reasons, my recommendation is to take time out to schedule a free consultation with an attorney as soon as possible and bring one on the day of court. This will give them an opportunity to discuss your risk level for suspension as well as the potential for reducing the seriousness of the charge that could appear on your record. It will also ensure a minimal number of appearances meaning less time you need to take off work.
Hope that helps!! If you have any questions, I am available nights and weekends and do offer free consultations.
Jason A. Wilkins
Attorney at Law
Law Office of Jason A. Wilkins
2135 City Gate Lane, Suite 300
Naperville, IL 60563
(630) 445-2293
www.jwilkinslaw.com
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