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Traffic tickets
Traffic/Speeding Ticket Lawyer/Attorney, Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453.
Jawad R. Shalabi is the traffic lawyer for YOU.
My name is Jawad R. Shalabi, Attorney at Law. I am a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney serving Cook County, Illinois and the surrounding counties.
If you have received a traffic/speeding ticket or your driver’s license has been suspended/revoked, you deserve a lawyer experienced in traffic law.
“Since 2013, I have handled countless traffic/speeding ticket cases from downtown Chicago, to Bridgeview, to Markham, and beyond, with great results. I routinely avoid convictions and am able to get a total dismissal 50% of the time.”
My goal is to protect your driver’s license. I have helped many satisfied clients to lift their driver’s license suspensions.
Get a FREE consultation to have all your traffic questions answered by filling out the contact form on the upper left.
Traffic/Speeding Ticket Overview
Your number one goal when it comes to traffic/speeding tickets should be keeping your driver’s license. Most traffic/speeding tickets are not criminal offenses, so you do not have to worry about going to jail.
However, receiving convictions for traffic/speeding tickets eventually leads to your driver’s license being suspended or revoked. This could make your life difficult. Do you need a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney?
You should never plead guilty to a traffic/speeding ticket if the sentence is going to be a conviction. The Illinois Secretary of State uses a point system that accumulates rapidly when you receive convictions. Inevitably, you lose your driving privileges.
If you have a CDL (commercial driver’s license), you could lose your license and, as a result, your job.
Hire a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney that can advise you based on your specific circumstances.
What do I do after I get a traffic/speeding ticket?
It is important to be smart from the moment the police officer stops you until the moment you walk out of the courthouse, after your case is heard. Here are ten practical tips for dealing with/beating a traffic/speeding ticket:
(1) Be kind/respectful to the police officer;
(2) Request a court date (rather than pay in the mail);
(3) Be mindful of your driving record;
(4) Go to court on time;
(5) Speak when you are asked to (do not volunteer information);
(6) Is the police officer present?;
(7) Does the police officer remember you?;
(8) Can your traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney make a motion to dismiss your tickets?;
(9) Know the possible outcomes of your case; and
(10) Be relaxed (nobody goes to jail for petty traffic/speeding tickets).
Click on the link for the complete article on How to Beat a Speeding or Traffic Ticket in Cook County, Illinois.
It is always better to be represented by a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney. Preferably, a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney that is familiar with the courtroom where your ticket is being heard.
Below, is a list of common traffic tickets, followed by information on what to do if your driver’s license is suspended or revoked.
Speeding: What happens if I get a speeding ticket?
Speeding tickets are easily the most notorious of traffic tickets. If you press on the gas a little too hard (more than 25 mph over the speed limit), your speeding ticket becomes a criminal offense.
You have to be mindful of your own situation. Are you under 21 years old? Do you have a CDL (commercial driver’s license)? Is your driving record full of convictions?
Your traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney can advise you on the possible outcomes of your case and work to get you the best outcome.
Speeding in School/Construction Zone: What happens if I get a traffic ticket for speeding in a school zone or construction zone?
This is as serious as petty traffic/speeding tickets get. Judges and prosecutors in Cook County consider these two specific violations to be the worst. The same considerations apply, but you are essentially dealing with two tickets in one. This is where it is most-recommended to have a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney.
No Insurance: What happens if I get a traffic ticket for "no insurance?"
If speeding in a school/construction zone is the worst of traffic/speeding tickets, this is probably next in line. You are required to have insurance in Illinois. For a first offense, you are given a $100.00 fine. If you get a second offense, it is a $500.00 fine. Do not get a third offense. Make sure you have insurance.
Car Accidents: What happens if I get a traffic ticket for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident or failure to yield?
If you were involved in a car accident, there is a good chance you could have your case dismissed. Your ticket is probably for “failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident,” or “failure to yield.” However, you have to have had insurance at the time of the accident.
Often, if you and the victim/complaining witness communicate with your insurance companies outside of court, the case is resolved and the victim/complaining witness has no reason to come to court. This usually leads to a dismissal.
It is more serious if the victim/complaining witness was injured. If they insist on proceeding against you, a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney can advise you on what to do.
Cell Phones: What happens if I get a traffic ticket for driving while using an electronic communication device?
The police are cracking down on using your cell phone while you are driving. It is leading to many car accidents. “Electronic Communication Devices” include cell phones, hand-held personal digital assistants, and laptops (personal/mobile computers). They do not include GPS systems that are PHYSICALLY or ELECTRONICALLY integrated into the vehicle. This means that you cannot hold your cell phone or put it in your lap. Many people try to argue that they were not actually holding their cell phone, but it does not matter.
A $75.00 fine is imposed for a first offense. A second, third, and fourth offense results in a $100.00, $125.00, and $150.00 fine, respectively. I recommend you consult with a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney, before pleading guilty.
CDL Drivers: What do I do if I get a traffic/speeding ticket and I have a commercial driver's license?
There is a point system for CDL drivers. “Moving violations” (like speeding) build points up until the driver loses his commercial driver’s license and his job.
Getting “supervision” on a traffic/speeding ticket, rather than a conviction, is good for the average driver. The Secretary of State does not penalize you for it and, therefore, your license is safe. However, if you are a CDL driver, supervision on a moving violation still adds points against you. This means that you either have to get your case completely dismissed, or plead to something that will not hurt your commercial driver’s license. Traffic/speeding ticket lawyers/attorneys do this routinely.
Keeping your job far outweighs whatever a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney charges you for a traffic/speeding ticket. I recommend you hire a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney.
How do I get my driver's license reinstated if it has been suspended or revoked in Illinois?
Your driver’s license can be suspended or revoked for several reasons in Illinois. For example, you have too many traffic/speeding tickets, you fail to pay your traffic/speeding tickets, or you fail to pay child support. The difference between suspensions and revocations is that suspensions have an end date. Revocations are indefinite. Driving records affect car insurance rates and, sometimes, your job (i.e., commercial driver’s license).
Common reasons for driver's license suspensions:
Traffic/Speeding Ticket Violations: Three convictions for moving violations within 12 months will lead to a suspension. If you are under 21 years old, two convictions within 24 months will lead to a suspension. Convictions for tickets that you paid in the mail can be changed. A traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney can help you motion the tickets up and possibly remove the conviction.
Failure to appear in court: Your driver’s license could be suspended for failure to appear in court for a traffic/speeding ticket or to resolve the issue.
Parking Tickets/Red Light Camera Tickets: Your driver’s license will be suspended if you have ten unpaid parking tickets. The same is true for five unpaid red light camera tickets. Paying your fines removes the suspension. If you feel you cannot pay the fine as it stands, a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney could help you negotiate a different arrangement.
At-Fault Car Accident, No Insurance: Your driver’s license will be suspended for 2 years if you are at fault for a car accident and you do not have insurance. Always have insurance. Drive safely.
DUI: Your driver’s license can be suspended for driving under the influence of alcohol. I recommend you have a traffic/speeding ticked lawyer/attorney that also does criminal defense work if you have a DUI case.
Failure to pay child support: You can have your driver’s license suspended for failure to pay child support. It is a punishment. Pay your child support. A lawyer/attorney can help you if your work situation has changed and you need the amount of child support to be adjusted.
What happens if I am convicted of driving on a suspended license?
Driving on a suspended license is a Class A misdemeanor. Possible penalties for driving on a suspended license:
- A longer suspension.
- Possible revocation of your driver’s license.
- Jail.
- Your car being seized.
How do I get my driver's license reinstated if it has been suspended in Illinois?
If you want to have your suspended driver’s license reinstated, you will have to participate in either an informal or formal hearing with an Illinois Secretary of State officer.
You can have an informal hearing if your driver’s license was suspended for minor moving violations or a single DUI. The offense cannot have included a fatality.
A formal hearing is required if your driver’s license was suspended for multiple DUI offenses or an offense involving a fatality.
As a result of the hearing, your driver’s license will either be fully reinstated, denied, or you will be granted with a restricted driving permit.
However, you can avoid the hearing process if you remove the basis of your suspension. A traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney can help you.
How do I get my driver's license reinstated if it has been revoked in Illinois?
A revocation is an indefinite loss of your driving privileges. There is no set time that a revocation ends. The earliest you can apply for reinstatement is after one year. You must go through the hearing process.
DUI Revocations in Illinois
If you are convicted of a criminal DUI, your driver’s license will be revoked. The minimum length of time before you may apply for reinstatement depends on the total number of DUI offenses you have. For a first offense, you may apply for reinstatement after one year.
Do you have any further questions?
My name is Jawad R. Shalabi, and I am a traffic/speeding ticket lawyer/attorney. Feel free to contact my office by clicking on the “Contact Me Today!” button, just below. We are happy to assist you.