Emma Watson, perhaps more widely recognized as Hermoine Grainger from the Harry Potter franchise, has been banned from driving for six months after being stopped for speeding last year in Oxford, England.
Watson was stopped by police for going 38 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone, which isn’t all that extreme in the grand scheme of speeding tickets, but one of the most brilliant wizards in the world of Harry Potter should have been smarter considering she had already accumulated nine penalty points on her license. The latest incident gave her 12 penalty points within a three-year period, which results in a six-month driver’s license ban in England.
Although she can afford it thanks to her roles as Hermione in Harry Potter and Belle in Disney’s latest adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, Watson was also hit with a significant fine for the latest incident. She was fined £1,044, which is roughly equal to $1,406 over here in the United States. A representative for Watson mentioned that the actress “is in a position to pay the fine.”
Penalties For Habitual Driving Offenders
Watson’s driving ban isn’t the result of just one incident. She has been a habitual offender over the last three years, and eventually she racked up enough penalty points to earn the automatic six-month driving ban that is handed down for such occasions in England. The look-back period is longer in England than it is here in Minnesota, as accumulating 12 points over that three-year period earns you a six-month driving suspension in England.
In Minnesota, we don’t have a penalty points system, but you can still have your driver’s license suspended for racking up a number of driving offenses in a short period of time. Here’s a look at how many driving offenses can earn you a license suspension in Minnesota:
- Three or more misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor traffic convictions within a 12-month period (30-day revocation).
- Four convictions within a 12-month period (90-day revocation).
- Five convictions within a 12-month period (one year revocation).
It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving across the pond in England or here in Minnesota, if you rack up too many traffic offenses in a short amount of time, you may have your license revoked. That’s why it’s so important to connect with an attorney if you have had a few run-ins with the law in the past. We can help you maintain your license so that you can continue driving to work, school or wherever you need to go in order to get on with your life.
If you’re facing your first or your latest traffic offense, connect with Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm for assistance. Give our team a call today at (952) 224-2277.
