A stop sign ticket, also known as a “disobey stop sign” ticket, is taken seriously under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. It’s your right to understand how to defend yourself and possibly avoid penalties and long term consequences when it comes to fighting your ticket.
Penalties and Implications
- Fines: The set fine for failing to stop at a stop sign is $85. Along with the fine, you will be required to pay a victim fine surcharge.
- Demerit Points: Disobeying a stop sign typically results in 3 demerit points added to your driving record. Accumulating too many demerit points can lead to a license suspension.
- Insurance Rates: Convictions for stop sign violations will lead to increased premiums as providers view such violations as indicators of risky driving behaviour.
The Court Process
Receiving a stop sign ticket means you have the option to plead guilty and pay the fine, or fight the ticket in court. If you choose to fight:
- Consultation: It is highly recommended to consult with a paralegal who is experienced in traffic tickets.
- Evidence Review: Professionals can review the evidence against you, which may include the police officer’s notes and any witness statements. This is pivotal for building a defence.
- Representation: A paralegal can represent you in court, making it less likely for you to self-incriminate. They know what arguments to use and how to negotiate with the prosecutor.
- Trial: During the trial, both the prosecution and defence will present their cases. The judge will render a decision based on the evidence and arguments presented.
Legal Representation
Hiring a paralegal increases your chances of achieving a favourable outcome. They can potentially:
- Get Charges Reduced: Sometimes, charges can be reduced from a stop sign violation to a lesser offence.
- Have Charges Withdrawn: In some cases, the prosecutor may withdraw the charges based on the evidence or legal arguments presented.
- Avoid Conviction: Avoiding a conviction means no demerit points added to your record and no potential increase in insurance rates.
Importance of Professional Help
Fighting a stop sign ticket without professional help can be risky. You might not understand the legal nuances or how to effectively present your case. Missteps can lead to unintended self-incrimination. Professionals handle these situations daily and can navigate the complexities of traffic laws and court procedures efficiently.
Consulting with Experts
Free Consultation: Many legal service providers, like OTD Legal, offer free consultations to discuss your case. Taking advantage of such services can help you understand your options and the best course of action.
Video Transcription:
How to fight a stop sign ticket in Ontario. The best answer that I can give you would be first, I am truly hoping that you’ve taken the time to look at my disclaimer video. At this stage, the best answer I can give you is how not to fight that ticket is probably the best way to guide yourself. By way of an example, if you were considering representing yourself on a matter such as this, In my experience, I’ve had clients that have approached me and they’ve asked questions and, and presented facts, which would be, Well, I know that everything that I did at that particular stop sign was safe.
There was no vehicles affected. And I considered what I did a “rolling stop”, and I ended up with a ticket. Well, when you self represent, okay, when you do not rely on the advice of someone who does this on a daily basis, what can happen is you can get in there and you can self incriminate. Meaning, if you’ve told a prosecutor, for example, that you slowed, but you didn’t stop, they’ve won the case at that point in time. So, part of what you say in these meetings are very important. The illusion is on an offense such as this that you slowed and did everything safe and therefore I shouldn’t be convicted, is really not the answer. And, and that’s part of the problem that I find prospective clients that have gone to court have not done well.
I understand why people are concerned about these types of offences. It does carry a fine, it does carry demerit points, and it will eventually end up on your driving record, and now that driving record is presented to your insurance company, and inevitably will increase your rates. So, the, the, the answer is In part, how not to represent yourself.
Because all of these cases are unique. Every case that happened, whether it’s for you, whether it’s for your wife or your friend or your child. All of those subtle differences are important to someone that defends this for a living. So you need the knowledge, you need to tap into the knowledge of someone who’s experienced and knowledgeable and knowing what to do with those individual facts in order to help that individual with that specific case.
So the answer is, yes, you will need some help. You do need someone with a professional knowledge to take a look at it, to help you along, and that may inevitably mean that you need to retain someone to actually fight this ticket for you. I’m going to encourage you to use OTD Legal. I know the company. I am the company. We can help.
