Louisiana has always been keen on curbing drivers' tendency
of texting while driving. The fines imposed through traffic tickets in
Lafayette, LA though vary both violation and court wise. These don't find a
mention in the actual citation too.
Fines and costs
- Court costs may vary. For details, you'll need to contact your parish.
- DWI (driving while impaired) surcharges are the same across Louisiana. It's $1,000 for the first and the second offense, while for the third and the fourth one, it is $2,000 and $5,000 respectively.
- These surcharges are not all that is enforced for DWI offenses. Along with fines and court costs, there are other associated penalties too such as incarceration and license suspension.
- The law in Louisiana involves negligence, injury, and homicide surcharges also. The court may order the guilty to deposit a fine up to $1,000 for Vehicle Negligent Injury. For first degree Vehicle Negligent Injury, the fine may go up to $2,000. For Vehicular Homicide, it is between $2,000 and $15,000.
- Vehicle Negligent Injury and First Degree Vehicle Negligent Injury are legal terms involving drivers who drive while they're under the influence of drugs or who have a BAC of 0.08% or higher.
Pleading guilty or not guilty
- It is up to a driver to plead guilty or fight the ticket.
- Pleading Guilty or No Contest is likely to result in the payment of fine, the violation appearing on the PDPS record, license suspension/revocation, and a potential increase in auto insurance rates.
- If the driver pleads Not Guilty, they’ve to contest the ticket during the hearing. They'll have to work with a traffic ticket attorney to prepare their case. They may be asked to attend a driver improvement course for ticket dismissal. The driver has the right to appeal if held guilty.
Traffic tickets and insurance
As mentioned before, getting a traffic ticket may cause insurance
rates to go up. However, this doesn't mean the insurance rates will go up
automatically. It will also depend on the driving history, the provider, and
the policy.
Suspension/revocation/cancellation of license
- License suspension deprives you of your driving privileges for a predetermined amount of time.
- License revocation is much like suspension. However, it's effective for a longer period and the reinstatement process is more complex.
- License cancellation occurs when a driver uses fabricated information to get a license, uses it for illegal purposes, or is found physically/mentally incapable of operating a vehicle.
A seasoned auto accident lawyer in Lafayette will have
inside out knowledge of the traffic tickets in Louisiana.
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