Hillsborough County Speeding Ticket for Driving Thirty Miles or More Above the Speed Limit

If you have received a speeding ticket in the state of Florida, calling an attorney could be the very last thing on your mind. Your rationale is likely “How bad can a speeding ticket be?” Perhaps 80-90 percent of all those who receive a speeding ticket will write a check, send it in and forget about the ticket as soon as possible. Most of these people are unaware of the many repercussions they could face from that “simple” speeding ticket.

Particularly if you have received a speeding ticket for driving thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit in Hillsborough County, there are additional consequences you may face, plus you do not have the option of simply paying the ticket. In the state of Florida, any speeding ticket for speeds thirty miles per hour or more above the speed limit comes with a mandatory court appearance. In other words, dropping a check in the mail is not an option. In 2013, 1,349 people in Hillsborough County received a speeding ticket for speeds more than thirty miles per hour over the posted speed limit. In 2014, that number rose slightly to 1,368, but went down in 2015 to 1,164.

Should you be found guilty of the offense of driving thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit, you could face the following:

• You will receive four points on your Florida driving record, or six points if there was an accident as a result of your speeding.
• You must personally appear in court, or have a Florida traffic offense attorney appear on your behalf (a good option when you live out of state).
• Your fine can range from $276 to $500, depending on the circumstances of your ticket, input from the officer, and your past driving history.
• The minimum fine for speeding fifty miles or more over the posted speed limit is $1,000.
• Your charges are governed under Florida statutes 316.187, 316.189 and 316.183.
• The judge has the option of suspending your license for driving thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit, and if you are convicted and the four points pushes you over the limit, then you absolutely will have your license suspended for a period of time.
• Traffic school is not an option when you receive a ticket for going thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit.
• Your speed could have been measured by pacing, radar, laser, VASCAR or aircraft detection, although VASCAR and aircraft are rare. An experienced Florida attorney may be able to question the validity of any of those methods, based on his or her knowledge of their limitations.
• Your attorney may be able to convince the judge to defer adjudication in your case. If so, if you receive no further traffic citations within a specified length of time, the charges could be dismissed altogether.
• A conviction for driving thirty miles or more above the posted speed limit could cause your insurance rates to skyrocket.

The Importance of Having an Attorney
Having an attorney from The Law Place by your side presents a professional appearance to the judge and shows you are serious about defending the charges against you. Your attorney will know exactly which questions to ask the police officer to determine if there were flaws in the way your speed was measured, or if the laser or radar device has been properly maintained and calibrated. While your defense will be specifically targeted to your circumstances, there are a number of defenses your attorney may use on your behalf, including:

• The officer mistakenly targeted your car after he or she lost sight of the actual speeder who was driving a vehicle similar to yours;
• The officer’s location was not good enough to have accurately viewed your vehicle and your speed;
• The officer was not properly certified to use the radar or laser;
• You had a valid emergency;
• Your citation was issued outside the jurisdiction of the officer;
• The radar beam bounced off a larger vehicle close to you, therefore did not accurately record your speed, and
• If the officer used pacing, he or she did not maintain the required distance between the vehicles for at least 2/10ths of a mile while clocking your speed.

Offering skilled representation and over thirty years of combined experience, the attorneys from The Law Place will negotiate or litigate your speeding ticket, according to the strategy which will garner the best results for you. We understand how devastating losing your license due to a speeding ticket could potentially be for you, particularly for your ability to get to and from work. We also understand how busy your life probably is, and will work hard on your behalf to ensure the outcome of your speeding ticket in Hillsborough County is as positive as is possible. Don’t wait until it is too late—call The Law Place today, and let us take a look at your options and give you an idea of how we can help you.

Hillsborough County Courthouse
401 N. Jefferson St. # 516
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 276-8100