Outraged Florida Tourist Arrested for Refusing to Sign Citation
No Conviction!The Charges
While vacationing in Florida, police pulled the defendant over because his tag was not visible and issued a citation for the violation. The defendant, outraged over the incident, refused to sign the citation. Police informed him he would be arrested if he refused to sign it. The defendant still refused to sign the citation and was arrested.
Refusing to Sign a Citation
Under Florida law, if you refuse to sign a traffic citation, you will be charged with a misdemeanor of the second degree.
Citations are an alternative to jail time. They are issued to save local money, as well as free up room in the over-crowding jail system. Low-risk individuals are given citations instead of detention.
Signing a traffic ticket does not admit guilt. It just means that you have received the ticket. Signing or not signing a ticket will not help your case in any way. If you do not sign the citation though, you can be arrested.
Even if you are from another state and are pulled over in Florida, you must comply with the rules that Florida has set forth. You will still have to pay for fines and penalties that are associated with the ticket.
Plea in Absentia
A plea in absentia can be used by individuals from other states that will not make it to a court hearing. Individual lawyers may represent them in court. Once the court has made a decision regarding the case, you will be informed of any penalties or fees that are associated with it.
The plea in absentia will have your name on it, as well as your address, date of birth, and contact number. It will acknowledge that you are accused of the crime or traffic charges, and will list the citation number. It will also state how you plead for it.
Musca Law Firm
If you have been arrested for refusing to sign a traffic ticket, Musca Law Firm wants to fight for you. We offer a no-obligation free initial consultation to make sure our legal services are a good fit for you. We have offices throughout the state of Florida, including Orlando, Clearwater, New Port Richey, Fort Myers, Daytona Beach, Naples, Fort Lauderdale, and many others. Our offices have extended night and weekend appointments available for your convenience. We provide 24-hour phone service, as we know how important it is to reach attorneys outside of regular business hours.
Our number one goal is to make sure we are able to find you an outcome that you are happy with. We will develop a strong and strategic legal defense that exposes the weaknesses of the prosecution.
Please call us today at (888) 484-5057 to schedule your case consultation with one of our highly-qualified attorneys. We know that we will be the right fit for your case and we look forward to serving you.
RESULT: The Musca Law Defense Attorney filed a Plea in Absentia on behalf of our Client, and there was no conviction/no finding of guilt. Our Client’s case was resolved without the need for him to travel back to Florida to appear in Court.