Q: I got pulled over in MA, should I get an attorney?

A: Chances are you will end up better off with an attorney. You are charged with criminal motor vehicle ofenses, as indicated on the citation. Be sure to keep a copy of the citation and send it in for a hearing within the times designated on the ticket. Do it sooner than later, so a blizzard doesnt get in the way of valuable rights.

These are misdemeanors, and that ticket hearing is the start of the criminal process. With a lawyer now, you increase the chances of being successful at the preliminary hearing. With any luck and preparation, you will be successful there. The penalty for just the Operating uninsured is a fine of not less than $500 (no more than $5,000), or imprisonment for no more than 1 year in a house of correction, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each offense you are charged with also carries similar penalties, and collectively they constitute 3 moving violations. Any 3 speeding tickets, or any 5 moving violations results in a license suspension. Here you should factor in the points on insurance for the violations, the potential for criminal process, and the cost if the case goes to a criminal prosecution. Other factors might include how comfortable you are self advocating, and familiarity with langauge. If English is not your first language then that is another reason to think about a lawyer now. IF this is managed at the clerk's hearing level, there will be no criminal record, and the case will be shaped better in terms of points or insurance. If you are completely successful, which is fact specific, then there will be no points, record, or criminal charges. Please discuss what happend with a lawyer as soon as you can. Put the ticket in though! There will be time before you get the hearing notice to address this with a lawyer.