DUI - DWI - Drunk Driving Defense Attorney

Payable Traffic Citations

The Maryland legislature approved a change to the manner by which payable handled.  Previously, if a person wanted to contest a payable traffic citation then as long as their address on the citation was correct they need not do anything to have the matter set for trial.  If the ticket was not paid within fifteen days, the district court would then set the matter for trial.  A citizen could also merely pay the ticket, the equivalent of pleading guilty, or request that the matter be scheduled in court for a “guilty with an explanation” plea.

Under the this change, which took effect January 1, 2011, a person may still either pay the citation or request a “guilty with an explanation” disposition, but the matter will be set for a court date only if the person specifically requests that trial date within thirty days of receiving the ticket.  Failure to either request the court date or pay the ticket will result in the MVA being notified and the person’s driving privilege being suspended.

Some counties are linking or relating payable citations to those that are “must appear” tickets, but not all.  The “safe” response is to be sure to request a trial date, even if must appear tickets are included.

This is a significant change from the previous procedure that was put forward supposedly as a means of saving money spent on police overtime, but the potential for confusion on the part of not only Maryland residents but also visitors and those driving through the state is significant.

Contact our office today for a free initial consultation.

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