Traffic ticket? ALWAYS plead not guilty!

After pleading not guilty, you’ll be given a hearing date. Got to the hearing (you don’t need a lawyer) and, before it starts, ask to speak to the officer in the hallway.

If it’s a speeding ticket, offer to plead it down to 5 mph over the speed limit. If it’s for something else, like rolling at a stop sign or blowing a red light, offer to plead it down to disobedience of a traffic control device. Both carry fines, but neither carry points.