Can I receive a traffic citation even if I stopped past the stop line?
Oftentimes, motorists who receive traffic citations simply pay the ticket or, if it’s a moving violation, elect to take traffic school. What these motorists don’t know is (1) whether the ticket is valid to begin with, and (2) whether there are alternatives to simply paying the ticket or going to traffic school. This is particularly true with people who received red light traffic tickets. At the Yau Law Firm, we fight traffic tickets. Something that has recently come as a surprise to our clients is that they cannot be cited for failure to stop at a red light IF the vehicle came to a complete stop even after the vehicle crossed the stop line.
Quoted from Florida Statute 316.0083 (1)(a), “A notice of violation and a traffic citation may not be issued under this section if the driver of the vehicle came to a complete stop after crossing the stop line and before turning right if permissible at a red light, but failed to stop before crossing over the stop line or other point at which a stop is required.” (This section of the law does not prevent anyone from receiving any other traffic citation, however…)
The new law came into effect as of July 1, 2013. Still, we get quite a few clients with improperly issued tickets. Imagine if they received these tickets and elected to pay the ticket (usually a fine of about $158)? That means, they would have paid $158 for something that they did not need to pay for!
We work hard so that you don’t need to. Our flat rate prices for ticket representations begin at $69, excluding any court fines and costs. Telephonic consultations regarding what our attorneys can do for your ticket is always free. To find out what we can do for you, give us a call today!
