what to write on a letter to mail

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If yous've been issued a traffic ticket and decide yous desire to fight it, you may have the option of writing a alphabetic character to the court pleading non guilty. In some states, you also have the ability to write and submit an affidavit with your defense and supporting show, significant you can fight your traffic ticket without ever stepping foot in a courtroom.^{[1] [2]}

1. 1

   Read your ticket carefully. Your traffic ticket includes important information regarding your procedural rights and how to answer to the ticket.

   • Yous may need to go to the court's website or call the clerk's office to go additional information about pleading non guilty. Often the ticket will provide instructions on how to pay it, but you lot may have to dig a bit deeper to find information on how to fight it.^[3]

2. 2

   Gather information about the incident. If y'all take whatsoever photos or if there were whatever witnesses to the incident that led to the traffic citation, you should review that bear witness before you brand a final decision to plead not guilty.

   • Whether yous determine to plead not guilty should depend on how strong your defense is and how likely you think you lot are to win your case. Avoid pleading non guilty just for the sake of fighting a ticket when you know you take no valid defense force – information technology will only cost y'all additional time and money.^[iv]

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3. iii

   Decide how to plead. Due to the costs of pleading not guilty, it's worth reviewing your ticket and your driving record to determine whether it would be easier for you lot to just pay the ticket.

   • If the ticket is your showtime criminal offense, you may exist eligible to attend traffic school and have the infraction removed from your record after successful completion. Earlier you decide to fight the traffic ticket, find out if this option is available.^[five]
   • If you lot aren't eligible for traffic schoolhouse, or take no involvement in attending, pleading guilty to the ticket or only paying the fine could result in college insurance premiums and other costs to you lot. If you lot have a strong argument that you lot should not exist held liable for the violation, y'all should consider pleading non guilty and fighting the ticket.^[6]
   • If you got a ticket as a event of your involvement in an accident, you lot probably should consider consulting an experienced traffic attorney for guidance on how to keep. Existence plant guilty afterwards a trial could event in civil liability to the other drivers for damages they suffered in the blow.^[7]
   • Continue in mind that you accept the right to plead non guilty, regardless of whether you lot really committed the infraction.^[8]
   • When yous plead not guilty, you are forcing the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you lot committed the infraction. If the state doesn't take enough evidence to do this, y'all cannot be institute guilty in a court of police.^[nine]

4. 4

   Take note of your deadline. Typically, your ticket will include a deadline by which you must enter your plea if you intend to plead not guilty.

   • Figure out if the date on your ticket is the date by which yous must respond or the date you must announced in traffic court. That first date probably is an arraignment – not the date of the hearing itself – but this varies widely among jurisdictions.^[ten]
   • Typically if you want to plead without appearing at arraignment, you lot must do so several days prior to the appointment the arraignment or kickoff appearance is scheduled. Yous may accept to become to the court's website or conduct additional research to find out exactly when the courtroom must receive your plea if you desire to avoid actualization in court.^[11]

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1. i

   Find out if there'south a required form. Many jurisdictions have a form y'all must fill up out to notify the traffic court how you intend to plead in response to a traffic ticket.

   • Typically this form will be included with your ticket. If not, you should exist able to notice it by visiting the traffic court's website or contacting the clerk's function.
   • In some jurisdictions you must send a check for the amount of the fine equally bail when you send your letter pleading not guilty. This amount will be returned to yous if you win your example. Check with the courtroom's website or phone call the clerk if you are unsure.^[12]

2. ii

   Typhoon your letter of the alphabet. If no specific class is available for pleading non guilty, you may be able to enter your plea by writing a letter to the court.

   • Continue in mind that if you cull to write a letter pleading non guilty, y'all typically must as well include a statement indicating that you lot understand yous take a right to an arraignment and are waiving that right.^[13]
   • Typically in that location'south no specific format required, and you don't accept to indicate or explain your defenses – you simply can state that you plead not guilty, just every bit y'all would if yous attended an arraignment in person.^[14]
   • Type your letter in standard business organisation format using a basic, legible font such as Helvetica or Times New Roman. Single infinite your letter with a double-space between paragraphs. Make sure y'all include accurate contact data in example the clerk needs to contact you regarding your plea.^[15]

3. 3

   Include all required data. Your traffic ticket may include a list of the information required to accurately procedure your plea.

   • At a minimum, you should include the date of your traffic ticket and the infraction with which yous were charged. If the traffic ticket includes a instance or reference number, that number should also exist included in your letter for identification purposes.
   • Typically the officer will write your name and address as they appear on your driver'southward license, merely that information may no longer be authentic if, for example, you recently moved or changed your name due to marriage or divorce. Regardless, you should provide your full proper name and address in your letter of the alphabet as they are listed on the ticket, fifty-fifty if they are incorrect.
   • Yous may consider making a copy of the front end and back of the commendation itself and attaching these to your letter of the alphabet.

4. 4

   Consider consulting an attorney. Depending on the seriousness of the offense, you may want to discuss your plea with an experienced traffic attorney.

   • It is especially of import that you consult an attorney if you received the ticket as a outcome of your interest in an blow. Your decision may bear on your civil liability for damages incurred by other drivers.^[16]

5. v

   Submit your letter. Once y'all're satisfied that you've included everything necessary, you lot can submit your alphabetic character pleading non guilty to the traffic court.

   • Before y'all post your letter to the court, make a re-create of the letter yous've written as well as whatever attachments, then you lot have information technology for your own records.
   • You should exist able to discover the address and department to which your letter of the alphabet should be mailed on your traffic ticket. If the information isn't in that location, you may have to call the clerk of court to observe out where to mail your letter.^[17]
   • You might consider sending your letter using certified mail service with returned receipt requested, just so you lot know when the court has received your letter. This could exist essential evidence later on if the court tries to say that the deadline had already passed earlier your letter of the alphabet was received.

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1. i

   Find out if a trial by proclamation is immune in your jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions allow you to mail in a written argument rather than appearing in court for a trial.

   • Even if trial by declaration isn't specifically allowed in your jurisdiction, the judge may allow it anyhow to save court time and resources. If you lot can't detect any data about it, you lot can ever ask the clerk if the choice is available.^[18]
   • A trial by declaration is peculiarly beneficial if y'all got your ticket in another land or a location far away from where you live, because it saves you the time and costs necessary to appear in court and fight the ticket.^[19]
   • Even if the jurisdiction has a procedure in place for a trial by annunciation, this option may not be available for certain infractions. For case, Oregon does not allow a trial by announcement for photograph radar or ruby light tickets, speed racing, or reckless driving with blow or injury.^[xx]

2. 2

   Submit your request. Typically you must asking a trial past declaration or affirmation in advance of the date your trial is scheduled.

   • When you submit your request, you also may exist required to pay the amount of the fine equally a bail. If you win your example you'll get this coin back.^{[21] [22]}
   • Past requesting a trial by declaration, yous waive your right to announced, to bear witness in person, and to subpoena witnesses.^[23]

3. 3

   Gear up your prove. Earlier you consummate your declaration or affirmation, organize the evidence you desire to present that supports your argument that you are non guilty of the offense for which yous received the ticket.

   • Keep in mind that if y'all request a trial by declaration, the officer who issued the ticket in your case will have to present written testimony as well. Typically y'all won't have the opportunity to review the officer's statement before yous prepare yours, then yous have to do your best to anticipate any points you recollect the officer will raise.^[24]

4. 4

   Fill out all required forms. In one case yous've properly filed your request for a trial past proclamation or affirmation, the courtroom clerk typically will ship you a parcel of forms and instructions.

   • Most jurisdictions with a formal procedure for trial by announcement have specific forms that you must use to nowadays your testimony.^[25]
   • If you have witnesses, y'all typically can get them to submit affidavits as well, which you volition submit together with your own announcement as evidence in your defense.^[26]
   • If your jurisdiction doesn't have any forms available, y'all can write an boosted letter to the clerk containing your declaration. Every bit with your letter pleading not guilty, use standard business format. Include your citation number and your instance name and number in the subject line of your letter.^[27]
   • Your form typically will include a statement that you lot accept waived your right to appear in person at trial and submit your evidence to the court personally.^[28]
   • You usually may attach any documentary evidence you desire the court to consider, such every bit photographs or written testimony from witnesses. This includes anything you would nowadays at trial. For example, if you have drawn a diagram that demonstrates the officer who issued your citation did non have an unobstructed view of your automobile earlier he pulled y'all over, you could include that with your declaration.^{[29] [30]}
   • You also may be required to include a long-form written argument in which you lot describe the incident that led to your citation in your own words.^[31]

5. v

   Sign your forms. Affidavits incorporate sworn testimony and often must be signed in the presence of a notary public.^[32]

   • Even if yous're not required to sign in the presence of a notary, any prepared forms typically will include a statement that you lot are signing the certificate under oath and correspond under penalty of perjury that the statements information technology contains are truthful and correct to the best of your noesis.^[33]
   • After you've signed your forms, exist sure you brand a re-create of everything you plan on submitting to the court so you have it for your records. Once you send the originals to the court they will not be returned.

6. 6

   File your declaration or affidavit. Once you've completed all your forms, you lot must transport them to the clerk of court together with any evidence you want the courtroom to review.

   • Although y'all tin always file your announcement or affidavit by taking information technology to the clerk's office personally, y'all typically also have the pick of mailing it. You should utilise certified mail with returned receipt requested so you have notice when your paperwork is received.^[34]
   • Pay attending to the deadlines included in your instructions for a trial by declaration or affidavit. There will be a date by which you must file your declaration and testify with the clerk, typically no afterward than 24 hours before the date your trial is scheduled.^[35]
   • The approximate will review your testimony and evidence as well as the testimony and evidence from the officer who issued your citation and render his verdict. In some jurisdictions you will receive written notice of the judge's conclusion within a few weeks after your announcement parcel is received.^[36]
   • If the judge ruled in your favor, the observe may include a bank check refunding you the corporeality of the fine you posted as bond.^[37]
   • In other jurisdictions, information technology remains your responsibility to contact the courtroom and learn of the judge's determination after the trial date you've been assigned.^[38]

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