Driving while license is suspended
means that the police charged you with an offense earlier. Most states have a
point system that assigns points to both minor and major traffic offenses.
License suspension for point accumulation usually lasts for a predetermined
time period, the length of which depends on the number of points. Generally driving
while license is suspended is a bit heavier when you rack up certain number of
specific violations within a specific time frame especially when you commit
another offense after the suspension.
Regardless how bad your traffic
record is, the court has discretion whether to record a conviction against you
for the offense. If the court decides not to record a conviction, you will not
be disqualified from driving. If the court decides to convict you for the
offense, the court must disqualify you from driving for the mandatory period
set by the law or any additional period as the court may order.
When penalties are imposed and you
are caught driving while license is suspended, it will be considered a criminal
record. If you did not know this fact, the court may consider it an infraction.
But if you did know this fact, then it is considered a criminal offense. There
are some of the tests that you may encounter as the court wants to know whether
you are telling the truth.
The second issue is how many times
have you been charged with driving while license is suspended. The fine and punishment
tends to go up depending on prior convictions. Judges and prosecutors get tired
of seeing the same people. The magistrate can choose to extend the suspension
period when needed. Most magistrates will choose to do this and add an extra
suspension period to your license. This is because you have not taken previous
suspension seriously.
If you are planning on hiring a
lawyer, you’ll have a far greater likelihood of securing a dismissal or
reduction of your charges. Depending upon the circumstances surrounding your
arrest, you might be able to secure a reduction in your charges. In the end,
you’ll need to decide whether such an outcome is worth the cost of retaining a
legal professional.
Rick Silverman, P.A.
311 S Brevard Ave. Tampa, Florida
33606
(813) 871-1125
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