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Do I Need an Attorney for Traffic Court?

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The answer to that question is, it depends. In Georgia, all traffic citations, whether you were arrested or not, are misdemeanors and carry a punishment of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. That being said, most traffic offenses will not involve jail time or show up on a background check or criminal history.

How Can an Attorney Help?

In my experience, attorneys can help you in traffic court in Atlanta in a few ways. One, attorney cases are often handled at the beginning of the calendar, allowing you to get in and out of court quickly, and on your way to the rest of your day. Two, attorneys have relationships with the prosecutors in court and can often negotiate a better resolution than you might be able to on your own. Three, some citations in Georgia, such as No Insurance, or Driving with a Suspended License or Registration carry with them additional license suspensions or mandatory jail time. If you enter a plea of guilty to those offenses without understanding the potential punishments, you may impact your freedom or your ability to drive. Finally, an attorney may offer defenses to the charge that can get your traffic citation dismissed completely.

This advice is especially true for Smyrna Municipal Court, Cobb County State Court, the Municipal Court of Atlanta, Gwinnett County Recorders Court, and DeKalb County State Court – Traffic Division.

These are just a few of the reasons it is beneficial to talk to an attorney before going to traffic court. Our free consultation will give you valuable information to  help you decide whether you need an attorney in traffic court. Call us today at 404-581-0999.

by Ryan Walsh

Your Case in Municipal Court of Atlanta

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There’s no better firm out there for assistance with your upcoming case in the Municipal Court of Atlanta. Our team of highly trained attorneys has been practicing in the Municipal Court of Atlanta building relationships with the prosecutors and judges for as long as they’ve been at 150 Garnett Street.

What does MCOA handle?

The City Court of Atlanta handles almost every traffic citation occurring inside the city limits of Atlanta along with marijuana, shoplifting, and disorderly conduct charges. They also handle all city ordinance charges which involve business license issues, property issues, and some personal citations like disorderly conduct under the influence. There are eleven active courtrooms in the courthouse and most courtrooms have court twice a day.

A case in the Municipal Court of Atlanta has multiple ways it can be resolved. Unlike other municipal courts where your options are guilty or not guilty, the Municipal Court of Atlanta offers pre-trial diversion on a number of traffic and criminal charges, along with other alternative disposition methods if you qualify.

Did you miss court? There might be a warrant out for your arrest? Hiring an attorney may allow you to lift the warrant without appearing in court and risking potential arrest.

Do I need an attorney?

Skilled attorneys can appear in court on your behalf, speed up the process of resolving your charge(s), and negotiate resolutions that a non-attorney may not be able to obtain. It is important that before you resolve your case in the City of Atlanta you give our office a call to discuss potential outcomes and ways we can assist you. The consolation is free, and we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help. Call us today at 404-581-0999.

by Ryan Walsh

Atlanta Pre-Trial Intervention

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The Municipal Court of Atlanta has a special program for minor traffic offenses and some accident cases that involves dismissing these cases without them going on your driving history, without any points going on your drivers license, and without you using your nolo contendere plea. It is called the pre-trial intervention program – traffic division, and you can use the program once a year in the Municipal Court of Atlanta for certain citations.

What qualifies?

Some offenses that qualify are:

  1. Speeding offenses UNDER 34 miles per hour
  2. Minor traffic accidents without any injuries
  3. Three point moving violations that do not involve accidents

Entry into the program is voluntary and involves the payment of a fee and potentially completing a driver improvement course or other requirements. You can choose not to handle your case through the PTI-T program and preserve your right to a jury trial in your case. 

Call us today!

Finally, we’d love to help you navigate your traffic citation in the Municipal Court of Atlanta. Call our office for a free in-depth consultation of all your options to resolve your citation. During that consultation we will explain to you the possible and likely outcomes and what we can do for you to save you time and money. Many traffic citations in Atlanta can be handled by us without you ever going to court. Call us today for a free consultation regarding your traffic ticket at 404-581-0999.