DO I NEED TO COME TO COURT FOR AN ILLINOIS TRAFFIC TICKET?

Zoom has made court appearances for your traffic ticket easier than ever. Even if you are out of state, you can join court on your phone or laptop, although it remains to be seen if zoom court will continue after the state has fully reopened.

But what if you still can’t make it to court, even via Zoom?  For most traffic tickets depending on the type of offense, an attorney can appear on your behalf.   An attorney may be able to get the ticket dismissed, or at least, enter a plea agreement on your behalf.   You will need to give the attorney written authorization to proceed in your absence.  (Note that these procedures apply to Cook County and may differ in your particular jurisdiction.)

If one of your tickets is for not having proof of insurance, and you had insurance or got late compliance insurance, you can provide the proof to your attorney along with the authorization.

If you have a DUI or particularly high speeding ticket, you will still need to appear yourself. For a high speeding ticket, an attorney can present mitigation in hopes of working out a more favorable outcome than you could on your own.

While you may be tempted to simply pay your ticket by mail and avoid the hassle of going to court, this is not a good idea.  A ticket resolved by mail is often generally reported as a “conditional discharge” or conviction, which can increase your car insurance premiums.  (This does not apply to red light or speed camera tickets, which are issued against the car and not the driver.)

If you have questions about this or another related criminal or traffic matter, please contact Matt Keenan at 847-568-0160 or email  matt@mattkeenanlaw.com

(Besides Skokie, Matt Keenan also serves the communities of Arlington Heights, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Evanston, Glenview, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Wilmette and Winnetka.)