Q: Charge changed from minor traffic offense to misdemeanor? ILLINOIS
A few weeks ago, I was pulled over for speeding. The officer claims I was going 26 over the speed limit on a highway, though my car physically can’t go that fast. HOWEVER he wrote the ticket for a 15-20 over infraction, no court appearance required.
I went to pay my ticket online and found that it was now in the system as the 26-30 over with a mandatory court date. I have received no further court communication since the initial ticket (which I still have) and the court date is only in a week and a half.
I have no idea what to do at this point. In my state, this is considered a class B misdemeanor. I’m a school teacher at risk of suddenly losing my license and livelihood for a speeding ticket that I don’t even know what the charge is for anymore.
What do I do at this point?
A: We’ve seen these mistakes made by officers more than a handful of times. There is a mandatory court appearance for speeding 26+ in Illinois as the offense is a Class B misdemeanor. You should contact an attorney who practices in the courthouse where your cases is assigned to discuss your options and the best strategy moving forward. The priority is keeping the criminal offense off of your public record. It is very possible that this can be resolved favorably.
Larry Davis and Juan Ooink agree with this answer
A: You must hire a Criminal Defense Attorney to assist you with this matter right away. The sooner you hire an attorney, the better. That attorney, at the very least, will attempt to have this corrected on your behalf, but that attorney will need time to work on your case. Hire an attorney now.
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