Can I represent myself on a traffic ticket?

Charlotte DWI Lawyer Brad Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question: Can I represent myself on a traffic ticket?

Question: "Can I represent myself on a traffic ticket?"

Brad Smith:

Traffic tickets in North Carolina have a two prong affect.

But to answer your question, yes. You could represent yourself on a murder case in North Carolina. The constitution provides every person the right to defend themselves in any manner they see fit.

But traffic tickets have a two prong affect in North Carolina, they can affect your insurance rates and then they can cause you to accumulate license points.

License points can cause your license to go into suspension for varying degrees based on the amount of points that you have accumulated.

Insurance points can cause your insurance company to raise your insurance rates. The only way that your insurance company can raise your motor vehicle insurance in North Carolina is by the accumulation of points.

The number of points you receive as a result of a conviction of a traffic violation is directly proportional to the percentage that an automobile insurance carrier can raise your insurance surcharge.

So, it is probably a lot more cost efficient for you to hire an attorney than take a chance on representing yourself and having your insurance rates go up, or finding yourself doing something that could cause your license to go into suspension.