< C M Jones Law >

Getting a ticket is an annoyance that most of us have had to deal with at one point or another in our lives. Sometimes, you get one for a good reason…you really were speeding, or your stickers were expired. However, police officers do make mistakes, and you may receive a ticket for which you do not believe you are guilty.

You may have also received a more serious offense, a Class C Misdemeanor. Examples include Public Intoxication, Open Container in a Vehicle, and most alcohol offenses involving minors.

Hiring an attorney to take care of these offenses for you is usually very advantageous. I will consult with you to learn the facts of what occurred, and see how the applicable law applies to your situation. It may be a situation where there is not a valid defense, and I will work with the prosecutor to get you the best possible plea deal. Or, if it looks like it would be difficult for the state to prove you guilty of the offense, I will strive to obtain a dismissal, or defend you at trial.

There are two ways I can take care of your traffic ticket or Class C Misdemeanor. The basic difference between them is that one does not require a judge or jury trial; the other does.

Basic Representation
This service covers everything except a judge or jury trial, at the trial court or appellate court. I will send the court a letter of representation and attend one pre-trial hearing on the client’s behalf. The client is not required to attend this hearing. At this hearing, I will view the court’s file, visit with the prosecutor, and attempt to get the ticket or charge dismissed. If this is not possible, I will accept a plea deal on behalf of the client, then send instructions to the client on how much the fine is, and where to send payment. Typically, a prosecutor will lower the standard fine for people with attorneys. If you do not have a commercial driver’s license (CDL), typically I can obtain a deal for deferred adjudication probation, or defensive driving class, which keeps the ticket off the client’s driving record (thus, not affecting insurance rates). It is the client’s responsibility to pay this fee on time. If the client fails to timely pay the ticket, then I have to withdraw as the attorney of record for the client. Basic representation does not include any future court appearances for the client failing to pay. The service includes all violations given on the same ticket (i.e., speeding and expired registration), as long as they were given at the same time. If the tickets are from two separate occasions, a fee for each case is required.
Judge or Jury Trial Representation
This service is for a judge or jury trial to contest the ticket or offense, either at the trial court, or the appellate court. At the trial, the prosecution typically calls the officer to testify, I have an opportunity to cross-examine the officer, and, if appropriate, I have the client testify in his own defense. The service includes all violations given on the same ticket (ex. speeding, and expired registration), as long as they were given at the same time. If the tickets are from two separate occasions, a fee for each case is required.

Attorney Bond
This service is for the situation in which the client has not timely responded to the court after receiving the ticket, and a warrant for “failure to appear” has been issued against the client. There is a date, located on the face of the ticket, in which the person has to respond to the court (usually between 15 and 30 days after receiving the ticket). If the client fails to timely respond to the ticket, then I can post an Attorney Bond on behalf of the client, to recall the warrant, and set it on the court’s pre-trial docket. There is a separate charge for each ticket/bond, whether or not they were given on the same day. Sometimes two attorney bonds are required, one for the original ticket, and one for the “failure to appear” ticket. In these cases, two fees are required. The Attorney Bond is a service in addition to Basic Representation, or Judge or Jury Trial Representation.
Appeal Bond
This service is for the situation in which a person is convicted at the trial court of an offense (either by plea or by trial), and wishes to appeal the case to the higher court, to have a new trial, in an attempt to get a more favorable result. This arises in several situations – perhaps the client tried the case himself, and lost at the first trial; or, perhaps the client was not able to get deferred adjudication for his particular offense because of the Judge’s policies, but can likely get deferred adjudication at the appellate court. There is a separate charge for each bond. The Appeal Bond is a service in addition to Basic Representation, or Judge or Jury Trial Representation.