This past weekend, the Stamford Police Department announced the formation of the its “Traffic Enforcement Unit,” charged with making the roads safer. As a result, this newly created division will be issuing more speeding tickets, aggressively going after drunk drivers, and writing up tickets for other common Connecticut motor vehicle moving violations and infractions such as running red lights, stop signs, school bus stop signs, operating under suspension, reckless driving, and equipment violations.
The announcement was written about in this weekend’s Stamford Advocate and signals a major escalation of the Stamford Police Department’s approach to fighting speeding and other moving violations in the area. We expect New Canaan, Darien, Greenwich, Norwalk and Westport Police Departments to follow Stamford’s lead in the near future.
The new program is well under way already–Stamford has already written 350 tickets in the program’s first month! While this approach is well-intentioned and will indeed deter Stamford motorists from speeding and violating traffic laws, make no mistake—the issuance of these tickets provides the City with a significant amount of revenue and if not challenged properly by drivers, will cost Connecticut motorists thousands of dollars in fines, DMV fees, and increased automobile insurance premiums.
So what can you do about it as a driver just trying to get to work, school or the grocery store? Traffic is tough enough in this area. To now have to worry about the police pulling you over on technicalities only makes driving more stressful.
The Stamford-based speeding ticket lawyers at Mark Sherman Law are prepared to handle the increased amount of traffic court volume resulting from police departments issuing more speeding tickets in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, New Canaan, Danbury and Bridgeport.
First and foremost, if you are pulled over for Speeding on I-95, the Merritt Parkway or elsewhere in these Connecticut towns and cities, remember to be extremely polite and respectful to the police officer. The officers will routinely notate on the ticket and accompanying police reports the driver’s attitude and demeanor. If the officer’s notes are positive, then it is easier for lawyers like us to get the tickets reduced or dismissed. Most importantly, do not make any admissions or incriminating statements to the officer, as this will be also be notated on the ticket and possibly used against you in the event you decide to fight the ticket.
In most cases, you will either receive a ticket for Speeding under C.G.S. § 14-219 if you are driving over the posted speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour, or Traveling Unreasonably Fast, codified in C.G.S. § 14-218a, if you are over the speed limit by less than 20 miles per hour. These are both infraction charges, not crimes. However, if you are caught driving over 85 miles per hour, then you can be charged with the Misdemeanor of Reckless Driving pursuant to C.G.S. § 14-222. Whatever the charge, you will be given a summons directing you to report court within ten business days, or alternatively, you will be required to either plead guilty or not guilty by mail or internet.
It is at this point that you should contact a Stamford / Greenwich speeding ticket attorney at Mark Sherman Law to discuss your options in challenging your ticket for Speeding, Travelling Unreasonably Fast, Reckless Driving, Operating under Suspension, or any of the other motor vehicle infractions discussed in this article. At least two of our firm’s Connecticut speeding ticket lawyers will scrutinize each ticket, examine it closely for facial and fatal defects, and will aggressively defend you in Stamford, Norwalk or Bridgeport Superior Court to get your charges dropped or reduced. We will examine the speeding detection devices used to calculate your speed—laser, radar, or otherwise. We will review the device’s accuracy, and subpoena its calibration history to ensure it was properly calibrated and operated at the time that the ticket was issued.
Regardless of which town you are pulled over in, the penalties for Speeding and other motor vehicle violations and infractions can add up. Guilty pleas result can result in hundreds of dollars of fines, and if the Connecticut DMV suspends your license, then you can find yourself paying restoration fees and driving retraining course fees as well. In addition, if you need to apply for a work or school permit during your suspension, there will be more fees. Thus, for all of these reasons, it is worth a phone call of the Mark Sherman Law lawyers to discuss your options in fighting these tickets.
Another consequence of mailing in guilty pleas to speeding tickets is the possible increase to your car insurance premiums. When your policy is up for renewal, the insurance carrier reviews your Connecticut driving history and could possibly raise the premium or cancel your insurance altogether if your driving record contains too many convictions for speeding or moving violations and infractions. Another reason to consider fighting these tickets.
So don’t let these new Traffic Enforcement Units take you off the roads. If you have recently been charged with Speeding, Traveling Unreasonably Fast, Reckless Driving, Operating under Suspension, or other moving violations in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Danbury, New Canaan, or other Connecticut or Westchester County, New York jurisdictions, please call a traffic and speeding lawyer at Mark Sherman Law to learn how we can help you. Our rates are reasonable and we are focused on only one result: getting your ticket ripped up. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (203) 358-4700.
