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Cook County Illinois Speeding Tickets and Traffic Violations

 CONSEQUENCES OF SPEEDING TICKETS AND TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS IN COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS

 

   

DO I NEED AN COOK COUNTY SPEEDING AND TRAFFIC TICKET ATTORNEY TO HELP ME WITH MY CASE TO KEEP A TICKET OFF MY DRIVING RECORD?

In Cook County Illinois paying a speeding or traffic ticket through the mail without going to court and without attorney representation can often have unforeseen and costly consequences down the road. Convictions that usually result from simply paying a ticket through the mail can result in suspension of driving privileges for multiple offenses. A disposition of Court Supervision, although favored over a conviction, is still recorded against a person on certain driving records in Illinois. 

There are three types of Driving Records kept by the Illinois Secretary of State include: 1) Internal Records - these are for Secretary of State use only and consist of the entire driving history, 2) Court Purposes Records - which are available to the driver, his/her attorney or a court official (prosecutor/State's Attorney) and law enforcement and 3) Public Records - which are available to the driver's employer, insurance companies, and private citizens. It is also worth noting that there is no formal expungment procedure for speeding tickets and other traffic violations in Cook County and as a result a recorded ticket can stay on your driving record even with a court supervision disposition for 4-5 years per the Illinois Secretry of State guidelines found here: Illinois Secretary of State Frequently Asked Questions

Most drivers are concerned with the Public Records category as that is how their insurance premiums can be raised for tickets of their driving record or a family member's driving record in Cook County. The Court Purposes category becomes relevant when a driver gets more than one ticket on their record across any period of time. These records are often generated daily and reviewed by Prosecutors and Judges in Cook County as your case is called in court. Both Prior Supervisions and Convictions can be held against you in court when you face the consequences of a new ticket.

CAN I LOSE MY DRIVING PRIVILEGES FOR SPEEDING OR TRAFFIC TICKETS IN COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS?

Beyond the financial consequences of paying a speeding or traffic ticket in Cook County without the assistance of a Cook County Speeding or Traffic Ticket Attorney is the possibility of losing your license. The Cook County courts and Illinois Secretary of State are not sympathetic to drivers who fail to pay speeding or traffic tickets or register too many convictions. Illinois Secretary of State suspensions and revocations that often result when people are not properly represented in traffic court are outlined specifially here: Loss of Illinois Driving Privileges. Often these consequences are not realized immediately in court or when tickets are paid by mail and may happen weeks later when the Secretary of State is notified of the disposition of your tickets in Cook County. Drivers who are not represented by a Cook County Speeding or Traffic Ticket Attorney often discover too late that certain actions they took triggered a suspension or even revocation of their Illinois Driver's License. 

WILL A COOK COUNTY SPEEDING OR TRAFFIC TICKET RESULT IN INCREASED INSURANCE PREMIUMS?

The imposition of court supervision on a ticket in Illinois reduces the risk of increased insurance premiums as supervision dispositions are not viewable on a Illinois driving record to insurance companies although obtaining court supervision is not automatic. When a driver's record with the Illinois Secretary of State reflects a conviction the driver's insurance company will see that conviction in their renewal of premiums. Increased premiums could result for even one Wisconsin speeding ticket conviction, penalizing an Illinois driver with added expense for years to come. Insurance.com recently published a Traffic Ticket Calculator Guide guide to various traffic offenses and their potential impact on insurance premiums noting that depending on the range of speed convictions could result in a 20% - 30% increase in premiums depending on insurance providers. Carinsurance.com also published a recent article addressing how much car insurance goes up after a speeding ticket  offering comprehensive state by state breakdown of the potential increases in insuarance premiums based on the various ranges and speeding tickets as well as the individual variances of rate increases between several popular insurance companies.

HOW FORMER COOK COUNTY PROSECUTOR RICHARD ALBANESE CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR SPEEDING OR TRAFFIC CASE IN THE ROLLING MEADOWS OR SKOKIE COURTS

Prior to becoming a traffic and speeding ticket attorney I served as a Cook County Prosecutor for over a decade handling literally thousands of aggravated speeding tickets in Cook County. As a former prosecutor I am aware of all the possible dispositions that can be offered by a prosecutor depending on a client's traffic background and circumstances of the case.

When I first speak to a client I establish their relevant traffic history and driving record. I then consider the level of speed that they are being accused of traveling as well as the location they were stopped by the police as well as any positive or negative interactions they had with the police officer. I also establish if the client has a special license classification such as a CDL or more recently UBER or LYFT drivers whose livlihood depends on a clean driving record. 

Once I have determined the individual circumstances of the client and their speeding or traffic citation in the Skokie or Rolling Meadows courts of Cook County I appear with the client in court and negotiate the best outcome presenting relevant mitigating background evidence to the prosecutor in the Skokie or Rolling Meadows court that may be handling the case. The primary goal is always to secure a dispostion that does not result in a conviction for a client that could negatively impact their driving record and insurance. Often I can secure a dispositions of court supervision in Skokie and Rolling Meadows courts on speeding and other traffic citations.

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