
Understanding Traffic Violations and Legal Defense in Illinois
A large percentage of Illinois drivers will violate a traffic law at some point in their lives. This could be a minor traffic ticket, like a parking ticket, or a more serious traffic violation, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or distracted driving. Because of people’s daily pressure with work, family life, and meeting deadlines, drivers often break traffic laws without realizing it.
However, if a law enforcement officer arrests you for disobeying traffic signs or violating traffic laws, you can receive harsh penalties, including criminal penalties. Traffic law in Illinois is tough on regular drivers. Because of this, it is vital that you have solid legal representation to defend against alleged moving violations in Illinois.
Hirsch Law Group
At Hirsch Law Group, we have a team of highly experienced traffic defense lawyers who can help prevent a moving violation from going on your record. Our lawyers understand drivers’ challenges, and we will do everything in our power to prevent you from receiving harsh penalties.
The lawyers at Hirsch Law Group have previously worked as prosecutors, so we deeply understand how prosecution strategy works. We use our unique experience to provide defendants with a powerful defense strategy that helps get their charges reduced or dropped entirely.
Our lawyers have won multiple awards for their hard work and dedication to client cases, including America’s Top 100 Attorneys, The National Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers, and Enterprise.com Best Criminal Defense Attorney in Chicago.
Call the law firm today to schedule a free consultation at 815-880-1134.
Illinois Traffic Violations
All drivers in Illinois must abide by traffic rules and regulations set out under the law. When drivers violate one of these regulations, they can receive penalties, such as fines or license suspension. For some traffic offenses, they can receive penalty points, which are added to their driving record. The more penalty points you receive, the higher the risk of your license being suspended or revoked.
Illinois traffic violations are divided into two categories: moving and non-moving violations. Moving violations are considered more serious than non-moving violations and impose much harsher penalties on those convicted.
Moving Violations
A moving violation occurs when the motor vehicle is in motion or moving. Traffic offenses, such as speeding, reckless driving, and distracted driving, are moving violations because they happen when the car is in motion. The penalties are severe because these traffic violations can injure or seriously harm another person.
Some examples of moving violations include:
Speeding ticket
Reckless driving
Driving under the influence (DUI)
Drag racing
Disobeying traffic signs
Driving through a red light
Using your mobile phone while driving
Leaving the scene of an accident where another person or property was harmed
Moving violations can be either minor or major violations. Major moving violations can also result in a criminal charge being brought against the defendant for crimes such as driving under the influence or reckless driving, resulting in harm. If this is the case, the individual may have to be tried in a criminal court, where they risk receiving criminal records.
Non-Moving Violations
Non-moving violations are traffic violations that occur when the vehicle is not moving. Because these traffic tickets are less likely to cause harm to other drivers or pedestrians, the penalties are less severe. Examples of non-moving violations include:
Parking violations, including parking in a handicapped space, stopping in a no-stop zone, or parking without paying
Expired vehicle registration
Equipment violations, such as faulty equipment
The law in Illinois provides that non-moving traffic violations will not affect a person’s driver’s license. So, if you receive a non-moving violation ticket, it will not be added to your driving record, and you will not receive any penalty points. However, you may have to pay a fine for the offense or appear in traffic court for a non-moving traffic ticket.
Do Moving Violations Go On Your Record in Illinois?
As provided under law, all moving violations in Illinois are added to your driver’s record. A moving violation has a certain number of penalty points attached to it. If you are convicted of a moving violation, whether a speeding ticket, running a red light, or reckless driving, these penalty points will be added to your driver’s license.
You will face automatic driver’s license suspension if you are convicted of three moving offenses within one year. Receiving too many moving violations and driver’s license points can also result in your driver’s license being suspended. The suspension period is based on how many points you have on your license. The more points you have, the longer the suspension period will be.
The law does not care about how serious the moving violation was. It simply provides that being convicted of three in a year will suspend your license. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that paying for a traffic ticket, such as a speeding ticket, is the equivalent of pleading guilty to a moving violation.
Because of this, many people have their licenses suspended after paying for multiple speeding tickets without realizing the risks of license suspension. Penalty points also stay on your driving record for five years in Illinois. So, if you receive further traffic tickets down the line, you could face a lengthy suspension period for your driver’s license.
Moreover, these records will affect your chances of growth in the future. For example, your record will negatively affect you in driving-related jobs. It is so common for employers to check your records when you apply for jobs, especially driving-related ones. Plus, having multiple convictions on your record will turn you into a high-risk driver. This will affect how insurance companies offer you insurance premiums.
To protect your rights under such circumstances, it is better to consult with an attorney who can help you navigate this situation. Our team of experienced lawyers can provide you with the support and guidance necessary to fight your traffic violation charges. With our help, we can potentially get your charges reduced or dropped altogether, helping you avoid the negative consequences on your driving record.
Consequences of a Moving Violation On Your Illinois Driver’s License
Being convicted of a moving violation means that penalty points will be added to your driver’s license, and the violation will be visible on your public driving record. Depending on the type of violation, it may remain on your driver’s license for several years. Speeding tickets and minor violations will stay on your driver’s record for at least five years.
If you had your license suspended or revoked and could get it reinstated, the violation would stay on your record for at least seven years. With drug and alcohol-related violations, such as driving under the influence, you will have a permanent stain on your record. The more violations you have on your record, the higher your chance of losing your driving privileges.
With a stained driver’s record, you risk a hike in your insurance premiums, losing the ability to apply for a commercial driving license (CDL), difficulties getting some other jobs, and an increased risk of being charged with a misdemeanor offense.
The only way to prevent the severe consequences of a stained driving record is by hiring an experienced traffic attorney to defend against the charges. Our team of dedicated attorneys can help you fight your traffic violation charges and potentially get them reduced or dismissed so that they do not impact your driving record.
How The Traffic Attorneys at Hirsch Law Group Can Help
Fighting against a moving violation requires experience, skills, and a unique perspective. At Hirsch Law Group, we know how to fight against traffic tickets and treat each case differently. Our lawyers can help your case by advising you on the consequences of a moving violation and how this will affect your driving privileges.
They can assess whether there is a valid defense for the violation, examine any police reports, check for evidence, and see whether the police officer followed all protocols during the incident. They will schedule a court date for a contested hearing and ensure that no guilty pleas are entered before the court hearing.
Our lawyers can negotiate to reduce your charges to a non-moving violation, which would avoid adding the charge to your record or try to get the charges dropped altogether. If court supervision is the supreme option, they will petition for this and help you get the violation expunged after you have completed your sentence and paid the court costs.
In criminal traffic offense cases, the lawyers at Hirsch Law Group will build a mitigation packet on your behalf, which is a document that we present to the prosecutor, offering more information about you and your life. We will include your previous driving history, information about your work family, and any information supporting your case.
License Reinstatement
If your license has been suspended or revoked because of too many moving offenses, our lawyers can help get it reinstated. If your license has been suspended, you must wait until the period has passed and pay the license reinstatement fee. However, if it was for an indefinite period, our lawyers can help schedule a court date to get your case heard or apply to the DMV on your behalf.
For a revoked license, our traffic violation lawyers will submit a request to the Illinois Secretary of State to schedule a hearing. We will petition your case and submit evidence explaining why your license should be reinstated. Depending on your case, we may also petition for a hardship license, which allows you to drive under certain circumstances. Our priority is getting you back on the road as soon as possible.
Contact a Traffic Violation Lawyer at Hirsch Law Group Today!
Receiving a traffic ticket can be frightening. People often pay the fine posted on the ticket without thinking about the consequences. However, if you pay for a traffic ticket or plead guilty to a traffic offense, you are putting your driving record at risk. The consequences of a moving violation can be severe, and you could face lengthy license suspension for serious offenses.
If you have been cited for a moving violation in Illinois, contact an experienced traffic attorney as soon as possible. A legal representative can take steps to get your violation reduced to a minor traffic violation, get court supervision for minor offenses, or get the traffic ticket dropped completely.
The Illinois traffic ticket attorneys at Hirsch Law Group have been helping clients with traffic violation matters for over 20 years. Our criminal defense attorneys have extensive experience with all traffic and criminal law areas, and we have the skills necessary to fight against traffic violations. We understand drivers’ difficulties in Illinois, particularly when facing license suspension or revocation.
Our traffic violation lawyers want to do everything we can to protect your driving record and ensure that you get the opportunity to fight against your charges.
Schedule a free consultation with our Illinois traffic ticket attorneys by calling 815-880-1134.