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    Four Strikes & You’re Out! How Many Stamford & Greenwich Connecticut Speeding Tickets and Cell Phone Tickets Will Get My License Suspended?

    Four Strikes & You’re Out!  How Many Stamford & Greenwich Connecticut Speeding Tickets and Cell Phone Tickets Will Get My License Suspended?

    You’ve seen the flashing signs all over Stamford, Greenwich and Darien Connecticut. “You Text. You Drive. You Pay.” You have also seen all the speed traps and speeding tickets being written up all over Fairfield County Connecticut. The best Stamford and Greenwich Speeding ticket lawyers are equally as frustrated, as these Connecticut traffic ticket campaigns are clogging up the courts, and causing insurance premium increases and Connecticut DMV suspension headaches to clients all over the State. These top Stamford and Greenwich Connecticut speeding and cell phone ticket attorneys and lawyers get calls frequently from people who plead guilty by mail, send in their fine money, and then are shocked to learn that their Connecticut driver’s license is getting suspended. Can this really happen?

    Absolutely.

    And as more tickets are being written, more people are paying their fines without thinking about the Connecticut DMV license suspension consequences. But with a little more knowledge about the process, there are several ways you can beat the system, avoid a Connecticut DMV license suspension for speeding and cell phone violations, and ensure your car insurance premiums don’t go through the roof.

    Here’s the secret…

    Four Connecticut Moving Violations / Speeding Tickets / Cell Phone Tickets in Stamford, Greenwich & Darien Can Get Your Connecticut Driver’s License Suspended

    As the best Stamford Court speeding ticket lawyers frequently see, Darien, Stamford and Greenwich Speeding Tickets, Cell Phone Tickets, and Red Light Violations are common, and usually not taken too seriously by Connecticut drivers. But pleading guilty by mail can in fact lead to a suspended license for some Fairfield County drivers.

    Since 2011, Connecticut DMV laws allow the DMV to suspend or revoke your Connecticut driver’s license for any “sufficient” cause. But what is this “sufficient cause” according to Connecticut DMV law? The answer: Pleading guilty to four unsafe moving violations over any two (2) year period. Keep in mind there is a big difference between getting tickets for 4 unsafe moving violations in a 2 year period, and pleading guilty to 4 unsafe moving violations in a 2-year period. The Connecticut DMV only counts tickets to which you plead guilty by mail. That’s why it’s critical to consult with a top Stamford or Greenwich speeding ticket / traffic ticket criminal lawyer before sending in your ticket with a guilty plea and a fine.

    When your Connecticut driver’s license is suspended or if you are required to take a retraining course, the DMV notifies you by regular mail. No phone call. No certified delivery. Just a regular envelope that may get lost in your junk mail. As a result, many Connecticut drivers don’t realize they have been suspended, especially when they have pled guilty to four (4) of these Connecticut unsafe moving violations over the past two (2) years.

    What is an Unsafe Moving Violation according to Connecticut DMV Laws?

    When calculating the 4 strikes, the Connecticut DMV takes a close look at the charges to which you pled guilty by mail. There are a number of unsafe moving traffic violations that can lead to the suspension of your Connecticut Driver’s License. Many of these moving violations are typical, but here’s a complete list, and I have tried to link to other informational pages when possible:

    • Use of Handheld Mobile Telephones & Mobile Electronic Devices / Cell Phone Violations
    • Traveling Unreasonably Fast
    • Speeding
    • Disobeying Orders of an Officer
    • Failure to Obey Traffic Control Signals / Red Light Violations
    • Wagering, Speed Record
    • Vehicles in Opposite Directions Passing on Right
    • Passing / Passing on Right
    • Determination of No-Passing Zones
    • Vehicle Not to Be Driven on Left Side of Highway on Curve or Upgrade
    • Driving on Divided Highway
    • Controlled-Access Highways
    • Illegal Entry on Limited Access Highway
    • One-way Streets, Rotaries or Roundabouts
    • Failure to Drive Reasonable Distance Apart
    • Failure to Drive Reasonable Distance Apart, with the Intent to Harass
    • Turns
    • Turns Restricted
    • Starting or Backing a Vehicle
    • Intersection Right-of-Way
    • Right-of-Way at Junction or Highways
    • Right-of-Way at Driveway or Private Road
    • Right-of-Way Yielded by One Emerging from Alley, Driveway, or Building
    • Stopping at Grade Crossings
    • Certain Motor Vehicles Stop at Railroad Crossing
    • Passing Stopped School bus
    • Operating of School Bus at Unreasonable Speed
    • Right of Emergency Vehicles
    • Failure to Obey Stop Sign
    • Designation of One-Way Streets

    Tickets for these Stamford, Greenwich and Darien speeding tickets are common and probably wouldn’t cause a driver to pause before paying a $50 – $100 moving violation ticket in Connecticut. However, under Connecticut law, paying four (4) of these Connecticut moving violation tickets over the span of two (2) years—regardless of how many Connecticut DMV points each ticket would be—can get your license suspended for at least 30 days. Click here for more information on DMV Points. So definitely consider calling any of the top Stamford or Greenwich Cell Phone Ticket or Speeding Ticket lawyers and attorneys for a quick consultation prior to pleading guilty by mail and paying a fine.

    But the Back of My Greenwich or Stamford Speeding and Cell Phone Ticket Says I Won’t Be Assessed Any DMV Points? Is that Correct?

    Not really! It’s common for drivers who receive Unsafe Moving Violations to check the “guilty” box on the ticket and pay the fine because it is the easiest and quickest way to handle the matter. As the back of your Stamford speeding ticket will tell you, paying your ticket is considered a guilty plea of “No Contest” or “Nolo Contendere.” Sometimes there’s language on the back of the ticket that by pleading “No Contest,” you will not be assessed points on your license. However, as any of the best Stamford or Darien Speeding and Cell Phone ticket lawyers would point out, this is misleading. A “No Contest” plea is a guilty plea. And while points may not necessarily be counted, the guilty plea counts toward the 4 strike rule.

    What Happens If My License is Suspended? Can I Get My Speeding Ticket Guilty Plea by Mail Reversed?

    If you think your license might be suspended, or you know that it’s suspended, then it is important to contact a top Connecticut DMV traffic criminal lawyer to have it reinstated as soon as possible, or to try and get your suspension vacated and reversed. Some of the top Greenwich, Darien and Stamford Connecticut speeding and cell phone ticket lawyers know how to get your guilty plea to Speeding, Marijuana Possession or Cell Phone Tickets reversed. It involves making technical and oftentimes constitutional legal arguments to your local criminal court judge. Click here to learn more about how you can get your guilty plea by mail to a Connecticut Speeding Ticket, Marijuana Possession Ticket, or Cell Phone ticket reversed.

    On the other hand, if you are arrested in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien or anywhere in Connecticut for driving with a suspended license under CGS 14-215, then you can face penalties ranging from a $150 fine to a one-year prison sentence (depending on the circumstances of your case). Click here to learn more about fighting your Connecticut arrest for CGS 14-215 Operating under Suspension.

    Contact Us Today

    So if you are getting hit with speeding and cell phone tickets in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien and elsewhere in Connecticut, it’s time to stop the madness and starting fighting back. Call one of the Connecticut criminal traffic lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today. We will sit with you and figure out how to fight your ticket cost-effectively, or how to get your license restored as quickly as possible. Call us at any time, at (203) 358-4700. We look forward to helping you.