Attorney reveals simple ways to fight unfair traffic tickets

How To Fight Your Traffic Ticket and Win. 206 Tips, Tricks and Techniques from a practicing attorney.

ANAHEIM, CA (PRWEB) September 19, 2003 - Many traffic tickets are unfair, undeserved and easy to beat, says attorney Mel Leiding.

About 60% of the tickets fought in court are won by average citizens without any legal training, said Mel Leiding, attorney and author of a new book: How To Fight Your Traffic Ticket & Win!! 206 Tips, Tricks and Techniques. (Avenir Publishing, $15.95, call: 800-676-5757). See: http://www.beattraffictickets.com.

"The courts and police want people to believe they have no chance of winning a ticket. They say 96% of the people are found guilty. That's deceivingly true because 96% of the people choose to plead guilty and mail in their fine," says Leiding, who is on the National Motorists Association's expert corner panel for traffic tickets. "The reality is that 60% of the tickets contested in court are dismissed."

Leiding advises everyone to plead not guilty and ask for a court date. He says not guilty doesn't necessarily mean you didn't do it. It means the officer must come to court and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty. There is a 30 - 50% chance the officer can't show resulting in automatic dismissal and return of your money.

"A simple way to increase the odds the officer won't show is to ask for one or two court continuances," says Leiding. "This will set the hearing date at your convenience, not the officer's convenience."

The recent trend is to contest unfair tickets because they've become so expensive. After penalty assessments tickets average $150 and go up to $1,350. This makes your five minute court hearing worthwhile. "Other nasty consequences to tickets are years of increased insurance rates or even cancellation, points off or suspension of your driver license are more good reasons to fight," Leiding says.

Some of his best tips involve simple driving techniques to avoid getting future tickets. He also has some interesting ways to talk your way out of a ticket. I liked his tips on what to do when you are first stopped. He says roll your side windows down, turn on the interior light at night, and put your hands on top of the steering wheel so the officer can see there's no threat.

Leiding got a lot of tickets going to and from the courthouse. He spent a lot of time in traffic court learning how to beat his tickets. While there, he saw the mistakes most people make and he has some easy solutions.

One major mistake is that people convict themselves by inadvertently admitting they were speeding. Don't argue that you were only going 70 MPH, not 79 MPH, when the limit is
65 MPH. This admits you were speeding and the judge must find you guilty. Say you were going the speed limit, meaning safe and reasonable.

How To Fight Your Traffic Ticket & Win!!! 206 Tips, Tricks & Tecniques is available through Avenir Publishing, $15.95, call 800-676-5757.

Note to editors; Leiding is available for interview, review copy of book is also available.
Contact: Mike Sinclair at Avenir Publishing, (714) 630-0141.