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Oregon Speeding Ticket LawHave you received an Oregon speeding ticket and wondering about the consequences? Then you are in the right place to find information on how to beat an Oregon traffic ticket. The laws governing speeding tickets vary from state to state. That is why you need to know the consequences of your Oregon speeding ticket prior to making a decision that will effect your driving priviledges and your auto insurance premiums. If you have a Commercial Drivers License the laws have changed and you need to be aware of the danger to your livelihood of just paying an Oregon traffic ticket. There is a special section below just for CDL truck drivers but in general you should always contest a speeding ticket if you have a CDL license. Of course the best way to avoid a speeding ticket is to obey the law. However this may get you completely run over on most Oregon interstates. Our reports on the interstates has been that as long as you are not doing more than 10mph over the limit then you are unlikely to receive a ticket from an Oregon State Trooper. They just have so many others to pick from. However in most Oregon towns they mean exactly what they say. Oregon Speeding Ticket OptionsOPTION #1 - ENTER A PLEA OF GUILTY AND PAY THE BASE FINE. You can pay your ticket by mail, in person or some courts are set up to accept a credit card online. Do a Google search for your particular court and call the clerk. If you decide to pay, be sure to get your payment in before your court date on the ticket. Some Oregon traffic courts require a money order and will not accept a personal check. Be sure to keep a copy. In general, it always pays to contest an Oregon speeding ticket. Many insurance companies will sharply increase your rates for just one Oregon traffic ticket.
OPTION #2 - ENTER A PLEA OF GUILTY or NO CONTEST WITH AN EXPLANATION TO THE JUDGE. The clerk of the court is not able to take your explanation into consideration when imposing a fine. You must submit your plea and explanation to the Judge. You can do this one of three ways: Schedule an arraignment appointment to see the Judge in person. Mail your guilty or no contest plea, written explanation, and payment of the base fine to the court. A guilty or no contest plea does result in a conviction and will appear on your driving record. All submitting a written letter is likely to accomplish is a reduction in the fine. No contest is the same as a guilty plea and the real problem is the increase in your Oregon auto insurance.
OPTION #3 - ENTER A NOT GUILTY PLEA & REQUEST A TRIAL. You have the right to enter a plea of not guilty. You can do this by mail and avoid your first court date since it is only an arraignment. Upon entry of a not guilty plea, the court will schedule a trial date for you. You should be aware that if you are found guilty at trial, you will not be offered the option of Oregon traffic school and the conviction will be entered on your driving record. OPTION #4 - HIRE AN OREGON SPEEDING TICKET ATTORNEY An Oregon traffic attorney can often get your Oregon speeding tickeet reduced or deferred. Considering the likley increase in your insurance rates, this may be your most economical option. Cost of Oregon Speeding TicketMost people tend to only consider the court fine when deciding to try and beat Oregon speeding ticket. The TRUE cost can be much greater. I talk to people every day who have just recieved a huge increase on their insurance or suddenly find their driver's license is suspended. Once you plead guilty by paying the fine it is too late. Please take a moment to read Oregon Speeding Ticket Fine Schedule Here is the minimum Oregon speeding ticket fine link NOTE: A new Oregon speeding ticket law stiffened penalties for drivers cited at speeds 100 mph and faster. A conviction carries a mandatory minimum 30 to 90 day suspension in addition to a $1,103.00 fine. This same law also suspends a driver’s license for up to 30 days for motorists convicted of driving more than 30 mph faster than the speed limit. You may receive the harsher fine and suspension due to being caught going over 100 mph. Excessive speed is a factor in about one-third of Oregon traffic deaths and is why the law was passed, to try and slow drivers down with the threat of severe speeding ticket penalties.
Oregon Traffic SchoolTO QUALIFY FOR THE OREGON TRAFFIC SCHOOL PROGRAM YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: • You have been cited for a single moving violation. You will not qualify for the program if an accident was involved or if your charge has a mandatory doubled fine. Refer to the School Fee Schedule if you are unsure. If either of these items disqualify you, the base fine on your citation will not appear on the traffic school fee schedule below. • You have received no other moving violations or traffic crime charges in the last two years. • You have not participated in another traffic school program anywhere in the last two years to keep a conviction off of your driving record. • You have a valid non-commercial drivers license or permit. If you qualify, this is usually your best option. You must contact the clerk of court, pay the base fine and receive permission prior to taking the Oregon online traffic school. However, the Oregon speeding ticket will not show on your record for an insurance increase. CLICK HERE FOR OREGON ONLINE TRAFFIC SCHOOL
Oregon Auto Insurance
Oregon Speeding Ticket Court ProceduresAt the time of your first appearance on aa Oregon speeding ticket you may choose to plead NOT GUILTY and have your case set over for trial. Trials are not held on the same day as your plea. Be prepared to waste an entire day in Oregon traffic court. If you have witnesses that are necessary to your speeding ticket defense you must have them present in court. If you have photos, diagrams, reports, or any other exhibits which you wish to present at the time of the trial, bring them with you on your trial date and be sure you know the proper way to present them into evidence. You can not have a jury trial on an Oregon speeding ticket. The officer who wrote the citation WILL appear in court as a witness. If the officer does not appear and you do appear, the speeding ticket will usually be dismissed but you need to be prepared to make the proper motion. When your case is called, you, any witnesses you have and the officer will be sworn in to testify. The court will listen to the statements of all sworn witnesses. You, your attorney if present and the citing officer may question each witness. After each side of the case has been heard and questioning has been completed, the court will rule on the matter. If you are found NOT guilty, your speeding ticket case is dismissed and will not appear on your driving record. If you do not appear for your trial you may be found guilty by default and your driving record will show a conviction. In addition you will be fined the original amount of the bail and possibly additional court fees. If it becomes necessary to change your court date, you may do so only once. Additionally your request must be made at least 10 working days prior to your trial date. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to the minimum 10 day requirement. Failure to notify may result in a judgement of "guilty by default", additional fees, and/or suspension of your driver’s license. Find Oregon Traffic Attorney CDL LicenseIf you have a CDL license, it is always in your best interest to contest an Oregon speeding ticket or other Oregon traffic ticket. If it is listed as a serious CDL violation and you just pay the ticket, you are putting your job at risk. Many trucking companies will not hire a driver with one serious speeding ticket on their record. If you receive two serious traffic tickets within a three year period, your CDL license will be suspended. It doesn't matter in most states whether you receve the speeding ticket in your truck or your personal vehicle. The ticket will also likely increase your personal auto insurance. The main violations listed as serious CDL tickets are speeding 15mph or more over the limit, following too close and lane change violation. A CDL attorney can usually get the ticket reduced to where your job will not be on the line. If you need a CDL attorney, click on the link at the top of the page and fill out the form.
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