"The best possible team you could have on your side! The trial knowledge, the expertise, the professionalism, relate to you on your level with respect! This firm truly cares. I wouldn't trust any other attys! They are top notch and I highly recommend them! THANK YOU MR. CHASTANG FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND HONESTY ABOUT REPRESENTATION.
Traffic Ticket Defense Attorney Serving Bartow, Lakeland, and Central Florida
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Lakeland Traffic Ticket Defense Lawyer - Traffic Citations
Experienced Ticket Defense attorney providing Speeding and Traffic Ticket Legal Services in Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, Polk County, and the greater Central Florida area.
Call 863-354-0508 today to schedule a Free Consultation with traffic ticket defense lawyer, Robert A. Norgard.
Receiving a traffic ticket in Central Florida is more than just an annoyance—it is an adversarial legal matter that can have lasting financial consequences. Many drivers make the mistake of simply paying the citation, unaware that doing so constitutes a formal plea of guilty and enters a criminal or civil conviction directly onto their driving record.
Paying a ticket triggers immediate points on your driver's license, causes your auto insurance premiums to skyrocket for years, and can even result in a mandatory license suspension. Whether you were cited for speeding, running a red light, or a more serious moving violation, you have the constitutional right to contest the state's allegations in court.
At the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard, located in Bartow, Florida, we provide aggressive, knowledgeable traffic ticket defense based on a comprehensive understanding of Florida Statutes Chapters 316 (Uniform Traffic Control) and 318 (Disposition of Traffic Infractions). We serve drivers throughout Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, Polk County, and the greater Central Florida region.
Traffic courts move quickly, and trying to represent yourself against a trained law enforcement officer or state prosecutor often results in a swift conviction. Having an experienced defense team changes the dynamic completely.
Florida Bar Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialist with over 40 years of experience
A Strategic Courtroom Advantage: Our firm features the combined insight of Attorney Robert A. Norgard, a Florida Bar Board-Certified Criminal Trial Specialist with over 40 years of experience.
By utilizing our deep familiarity with law enforcement procedures, technical radar standards, and citation requirements, we fight to protect your driver's license, your driving record, and your wallet.
About Traffic Tickets in the State of Florida
Florida law divides traffic violations into non-criminal traffic infractions (civil moving and non-moving violations) and criminal traffic offenses. While civil infractions do not expose you to jail time, they carry steep fines and a structured point system that threatens your driving privileges.
Common Moving Violations and Points
- Standard Speeding Tickets: Fines scale based on how far over the posted limit you were traveling. A standard speeding citation results in 3 or 4 points assessed against your driver's license.
- Excessive Speed (30+ MPH Over the Limit): Under Florida law, speeding by 30 miles per hour or more over the limit requires a mandatory court appearance. You cannot simply pay this ticket online. It carries significantly higher statutory fines, a high probability of a court-ordered license suspension, and 4 to 6 points.
- Moving Infractions (F.S. § 316.074 / F.S. § 316.075): Violations such as running a red light, failing to yield, or ignoring a stop sign typically carry a base fine and result in 3 or 4 points.
- Passing a Stopped School Bus (F.S. § 316.172): Florida strictly penalizes drivers who pass a school bus displaying its stop signal. This infraction carries a mandatory fine of several hundred dollars, mandatory traffic school completion, and 4 points.
- Non-Moving Violations: Infractions involving equipment failures, expired registration, or paperwork issues generally carry a fine only and result in 0 points.
If you accumulate points too quickly, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) will automatically suspend your driving privileges:
- 12 points accumulated within a 12-month period results in a 30-day suspension.
- 18 points accumulated within an 18-month period results in a 3-month suspension.
- 24 points accumulated within a 36-month period results in a 1-year suspension.
When you choose to contest a traffic ticket in court, you force the citing officer or the state's representative to prove the infraction occurred. In Florida traffic hearings, the state must present competent evidence to satisfy its burden of proof.
Challenging the evidence
- Challenging Speed Measurement Devices (F.S. § 316.1906): Florida law establishes strict rules regarding the use of Radar, Laser, and Lidar speed-measuring devices. We audit the officer's records to ensure the device was properly calibrated, tested, and maintained within the mandated statutory windows. If the equipment documentation is flawed, the speed reading may be inadmissible.
- Exposing Visual and Line-of-Sight Limitations: We challenge the officer’s testimony regarding their physical vantage point, distance, weather conditions, and line of sight at the exact moment of the alleged infraction to introduce reasonable doubt.
- Identifying Fatal Technical Errors: Citations must be filled out accurately under Florida law. Critical errors regarding the statute cited, the location of the offense, or the vehicle identification can provide structural grounds for an outright dismissal.
Why hire the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard
Hiring our firm means putting an aggressive advocate in your corner whose primary objective is to keep your driving record completely clean. We focus on three critical outcomes for our clients:
- Securing Dismissals or "Withholds of Adjudication": Our main goal is to have the ticket dismissed entirely or to secure a "withhold of adjudication" from the court. A withhold means you are not formally convicted of the infraction, resulting in zero points on your license and preventing your insurance company from raising your rates.
- Saving You Time and Stress: In the vast majority of civil traffic infraction cases, you do not have to appear in court. Our legal team can attend all hearings on your behalf, allowing you to avoid missing work or spending hours in a courtroom.
- Protecting Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL): For commercial drivers, a single traffic ticket can threaten your livelihood. We understand the unique rules that apply to CDL holders and provide specialized defense strategies to protect your career.
Do not let a traffic citation compromise your driving privileges and drain your financial resources through inflated insurance premiums. Put a veteran trial team with deep roots in the Central Florida court system on your side.
Contact the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard today to schedule your free, completely confidential traffic defense consultation. We are ready to review your ticket at our Bartow law office or discuss your options over the phone.
Call 863-354-0508 today to schedule your Free Consultation with Lakeland speeding and traffic ticket defense attorney, Robert A. Norgard.
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