Q: Should I hire an attorney for a Traffic misdemeanor citation received for not Yielding to pedestrian
The citation was given after the police officer called me.
She said I didn't drove past a pedestrian and I thought I drove past after the pedestrian had crossed the road.
She also said she had other witnesses. How should I proceed?
The charges are stated as
with reason 1. Traffic Regulation - Driver Fails to Yield to Pedestrian in Crosswalk-No Traffic Signals-1st Off-M
A: Hiring an attorney certainly minimizes the consequences that you might face. But you have to weigh the costs of hiring an attorney vs. what it would cost to simply pay the fine.
A:
When a police officer issues a traffic citation without a traffic stop, there will generally be a lack of proof of identity of the driver. This is so, even when they have an ID on the vehicle plate. When the police officer calls on the phone, their goal is to get a person to admit that they were the driver of that vehicle at that time. If they get that admission, they may have the driver identity problem covered. But of course there are other defenses as well.
Most people have a goal of keeping a traffic ticket off of their driver's license record. To do that, you must go to court and try to get an outcome that will not result in a "conviction." A lawyer will be a big help, but cost some money. You may wish to call me or another lawyer to discuss.
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