Because of its beautiful parks, historical significance, and lovely homes, Carlisle attracts many residents and visitors who use their vehicles to get around the city, whether they are traveling to work or to enjoy some leisure time. But as with any other area in Pennsylvania, the Carlisle police officers follow Pennsylvania traffic law and will almost certainly issue you a ticket if you commit a traffic offense while driving in the area.

Getting a traffic ticket is certainly serious business. You should not brush off your traffic ticket as unimportant, because the penalties that are associated with traffic tickets can be fairly harsh under Pennsylvania traffic law and can lead to even more penalties if this is not your first traffic ticket. Therefore, it is important to understand what your ticket means in terms of penalties and to carefully consider how to best handle your ticket. An experienced Carlisle traffic ticket lawyer can help you throughout this process.

What kinds of penalties could you face for your Carlisle traffic ticket? The most commonly recognized penalty is a fine. For most violations, including speeding and DUIs, you will have to pay a fine that can range from around $50 for low-speed speeding tickets to as high as several thousand dollars for serious or repeat DUI offenses.

Some people think that they can simply pay the fine and avoid any other penalties. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Even by paying the fine, you cannot escape the points that will be added to your driving record. Speeding tickets can result in a range of 2 to 5 points on your record, and others like failure to yield or running a red light or stop sign will result in three points. The only exception is DUIs — instead of points on your record, DUIs will result in fines as well as potentially jail time. The more points on your record, the more consequences you will have to face. For example, you could have to take and pass a safe driving exam, and even more points on your record could mean that your license will be suspended.

These penalties, of course, do not include the fact that your car insurance premiums may increase after your ticket. Certain violations also result in additional fees and surcharges, which when combined with the fines can cost you a lot of money for a simple driving error. You may not want to face these expensive costs as well as running the risk of having your license suspended and losing your driving freedom.

If this is the case, you have the option of pleading not guilty to your ticket and taking your case to the Carlisle District Court . Your ticket will list a court date, and if you choose to plead not guilty, you will go to court on that date and tell the judge why you feel that you do not deserve your ticket, or at least why your penalties from the ticket should be reduced.

Unfortunately, the police officer who wrote your ticket will also be present at your court date to tell the judge why they wrote your ticket in the first place. Police officers can be very convincing, and without a solid defense prepared, the judge may be more likely to listen to the police officer than to listen to you.

By working with one of our Carlisle traffic ticket attorneys, you will have the best legal representation available to help you prepare your defense. Because of their familiarity with traffic tickets, your lawyer can make sure that all of the relevant information is available before planning your defense. They will help you build a strong argument that can counter the police officer’s statements, and they will rehearse with you so you feel confident when you go in to your court date. We will help you throughout the entire process so that you do not have to face the extreme penalties that come with your traffic ticket. We also know that the minimal fees will be well worth not having to pay fines, surcharges, increased car insurance premiums, and run the risk of having your license suspended. No matter whether this is your first speeding ticket or your third DUI offense, our Carlisle lawyers are ready and willing to help you with your case. Get in touch with our offices as soon as possible so we can begin preparing your defense right away.