Distracted driving tickets continue to spike in Minnesota and across the US even though drivers know that police are cracking down on distractions behind the wheel. Because police know just how dangerous distracted driving can be, they aren’t taking any chances with suspects who they believe were breaking the law. But what if you truly weren’t driving distracted when police pulled you over? How do you go about proving you weren’t distracted behind the wheel? We provide some tips for proving your case in today’s blog.
Proving You Weren’t Driving Distracted
You’ve pleaded your case to the officer, but he wrote you a citation anyways. What’s your next move if you want to get the case dropped in court?
Hire A Lawyer – One way to strengthen your argument when it comes to proving your innocence is to hire a lawyer to defend your case. You might believe that a lawyer won’t justify the cost, but odds are your car insurance premiums will jump if you’re convicted, so weigh all the costs before deciding to skip out on a lawyer. A lawyer can review all police evidence, analyze witness accounts and listen to your side of events. They’ll then put all this information together to make the strongest argument to the judge presiding over your case.
Prepare Your Testimony – Regardless of whether you move forward with a lawyer or you choose to go it alone, you’ll really want to get your testimony in order. You’ll be asked for your side of the story, and you want to make sure your case is airtight. You don’t want to sound rehearsed, but at the same time, you should prepare your story and any counters you may field from the other side. If you sound more credible than the cop, it will help your case.
Know The Facts – While there may be a dispute over some facts, like what exactly you were looking at when the cop suspected you of distracted driving, but other facts will be clear, like where you were stopped, the time and date of the citation, and where the officer was when they spotted you. Knowing the facts of the case will help make the rest of your case look solid.
Don’t Hurt Yourself – When it comes to distracted driving, make sure you know the law so you don’t end up sinking your own case. For example, don’t admit that you were only looking at your phone while you were at the stoplight, or that you were just dialing a number and putting it on speaker phone. Both those actions are actually illegal. So before you start making your claim, make sure you’re not actually in violation of the law.
Dress Appropriately And Be On Time – If you’re going to contest your citation in court, you’ll want to look the part. As much as the facts alone should dictate the case, we know that how you present yourself in court also matters. Be on time, or better yet be early, and ensure that your clothes show that you respect court proceedings.
For help contesting your distracted driving citation, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today.
