Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
If you are reading this right now, you may wonder if that red light ticket you failed to pay could have resulted in your driver’s license being suspended. The fact is, many people in Michigan drive to and from work, school, or on other errands every day, thinking their driver’s license is valid – when in fact it is not. Here is a quick recap of an incident that recently happened in Florida.
Investigative reporter Daralene Jones decided she would do a little investigating regarding motorists who have had their licenses suspended and don’t discover it until it’s too late. One individual was notified that his driver’s license had been suspended because he did not pay a red-light ticket in a timely manner. The problem was, Jean Pierre did not know he had been ticketed, because the notices are sent out by the contractor hired by the camera vendor. Pierre never received the notice. Pierre contacted attorney Corey Cohen immediately.
Cohen told news reporters at Action News that he had a long list of clients in a situation similar to Pierre’s. Motorists are being ticketed for missing a red-light camera by .03 seconds, but the notices are not reaching many of the drivers. Authorities believe part of the problem is that the contractor hired to send out the citations uses addresses corresponding to vehicle registrations, instead of addresses corresponding to driver’s license.
Essentially, many Floridians (approximately 50,000) are having their driver’s licenses suspended for unpaid tickets they do not even know were issued because they are not receiving notification.
In Pierre’s case, a judge and lawyers with Cohen’s firm were working to uncover what happened, and if there is proof that Pierre did actually receive the citation. Until then, Pierre’s driver’s license has been temporarily reinstated.
Michigan driver’s license reinstatement attorneys know that there are frequently situations in which an individual’s license is suspended without his or her knowledge. You may have been pulled over for a simple traffic infraction, and informed by the police officer that your license is suspended. This could be due to failing to pay a court fine, or not being properly notified of the suspension.
Many people are not even aware that their driver’s license can be suspended for non-payment of fines or other reasons outside of DUI, speeding, or reckless driving. If you even suspect that your license may have been suspended due to multiple speeding tickets or traffic infractions, it is recommended that you check with the DMV to learn the status of your license.
If your license has been suspended, consult with an experienced Michigan driver’s license restoration lawyer immediately to learn what is necessary to regain your driving privilege.