Q: My 16yr old daughter-license since this June, just got a ticket for disobeying a stop sign .Should we go to court?

A: Hello Asker,

We would highly recommend that she go to court for a number of reasons.

First, if she does go to court, the chance that she could receive court supervision is far higher. This is an alternative to conviction that allows her to avoid it appearing on a public record. She can avoid raising your insurance rates by way of doing this though there will be a fine and a period of approximately 6 months during which she cannot receive any tickets. She will also have traffic safety school because any court supervision under the age of 21 mandates that she take traffic school.

Second, because she is underage, she requires a parent or guardian to enter a plea of guilty. Because of this, we are not entirely sure if the state's attorney or village prosecutor will allow her to receive court supervision by mail. If this is the case, the only other outcome would be a conviction if she mailed in the ticket. A conviction, unlike supervision, is visible on public records (those available to employers and insurance companies). It also risks license suspension if she receives another moving violation conviction within 2 years.

Lastly, appearing in court is always more likely to make court supervision a reality. Fortunately, this is a sort of matter that she would be unlikely to need any representation on unless it involved an automobile accident or she has prior offenses. Therefore, you can save money on an attorney as that representation will not be as important.

I hope that helps and we wish you all the best. Let us know if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Jason A. Wilkins

Traffic Attorney

(630) 445-2293