If you choose to plead guilty or happen to be found guilty of any kind of traffic offence, the magistrate mustthen decide on which penalties youwill be given.You may receive various penalties and demerit points all depending on thetype of offence.
When the decision is being made on what penalties should be administered, the magistrate will go over matters such as:
- If you have been found guilty of similar offences before
- The seriousness of your offence
- What else was happening in your life at the time of the incident
The possible consequences for any traffic offences are as follows.
- Criminal record
What happens in the court will be written into your criminal record.
This will inevitably include:
- The finding of guilt
- Anytype of conviction, if there are any
- Fines and penalties
The court and the police are able to check your criminal record and it is often the case that they willallow for other interested partiesto be aware of what is in it. For example, if you already havea criminal record, and especially with convictions, it can make matters a lot more difficult for you when trying for certain kinds of employment or to get visas forvarious overseas nations.
Those in need of professional drink driving lawyers, should do themselves a favour and contact one as soon as possible.
Matters of Demerit points
- You might receive one or more demerit points for somedriving offences.
- All points will be duly recorded and held against your driver’s licence or permit.
Matters of Fines
- The majority of traffic offences are found punishable by a fine (or fines).
- The preciseamount of money you can be fined will all depend on the offence type.
You should notifythe magistrate if you think that you willhave any problems paying the fine, and there some options.
You could ask the magistrate to:
- Generate a plan where you can pay monthly ininstalments
- Be provided with community work,instead of a fine.
- Should you refuse to pay, the court will more than likely issue an arrest warrant.
- You can pay the fine straightaway at any Magistrates’ Court.Just ask the staff at the court counter for help.
Losing Your Driving licence
It is possible that your licence will be suspended for a set period of time, or, for a serious type of offence, it can be disqualified.
- Over this period, you are not usually allowed to drive at all and without any exceptions. For example, you cannot drive any vehicle to your work place or pick up your children.
- There are severe penalties for anyone who gets caught driving when they are not legally supposed to.
Alcohol Issues
- If you lose your driving licence because ofdrink driving,(DUI),you will have to return to the court to retrieve your licence at a later date.
If you have any concerns, contact and consult with legal professionals ASAP.
