Q: In Illinois, if my plea will not get to the clerk before my hearing should I try for court supervision/traffic school?
The officer told me I had 30 days to send it in, so I had mentally calculated sending it from that instead of reading the directions, which is my own fault. Now I realize my plea and payment will not make it there before my hearing date. I can pay on-line, but that will not allow me to do traffic school and keep it off my license. I am not sure whether it is better to send my plea late with the payment for traffic school, or if it is better to pay online now since traffic school will not be granted for a late ticket.
I was doing 82 in a 65. First speeding ticket since moving to Illinois 18 years ago.
A:
Hello Asker
What will happen depends on the county you are located in. In most counties, failing to pay by the required time requires you to appear in court for a hearing date. Failure to do so can often result in suspension of your driving privileges until the matter is resolved. The good news is that based upon your description, you have not missed court. The bad news is that you will most likely need to appear. The ticket will provide information regarding this contingency and it is the best source to consult regarding circumstances for missed payment dates to ensure you don't harm your driving privileges by responding incorrectly to this ticket.
As for your court appearance, if found guilty, you will face court costs which are almost always more than the stated mail in payments. The good news is court supervision is easier to obtain by court appearance than by mail. Additionally, it is possible depending on the circumstances to avoid traffic school.
In the event that you are not easily able to appear in court due to short notice, you can have an attorney appear for you on your behalf alleviating the need to take time off work and offsetting the costs of hiring counsel.
Hope that helps and let me know if you have further questions!
Sincerely,
Jason A. Wilkins
Traffic Attorney
(630) 445-2239
A:
My apologies, I posted the wrong phone number. My correct phone number is (630) 445-2293.
Sorry about any confusion.
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