But while DWLS is a
criminal traffic offense, you can become an HTO by pleading guilty to DWLS without knowledge,
which is a simple traffic citation. But if you are convicted of this infraction,
it can count against you and ultimate result in the loss of your driving
privileges for five years.
When you go online and pay a traffic ticket, you are pleading guilty and
will receive a conviction (adjudication). In order to receive a
withhold of adjudication, you need to go to court and ask the judge.
A withhold of adjudication for a DWLS without knowledge will not count
toward your HTO designation. Neither will a reduced charged of no valid
driver's license (NVDL).
Fixing your suspended license or habitual traffic offender designation can be done, but you should retain a
criminal defense attorney who practices in the area of license suspensions.
Driving in Florida is a privilege, not a right, so getting your license
back takes work. If you have pleaded guilty to a traffic citation within
the last thirty (30) to sixty (60) days, you may be able to withdraw your
plea of guilty with a motion to the court. If this ticket helped to make
you a habitual traffic offender, then by vacating your guilty plea, the
ticket will be considered open, and will not be a conviction. With that
open citation, a criminal attorney can either attempt to get the court
to withhold adjudication, reduce the charge to an offense that will not
habitualize you, or fight the ticket at trial.
The same goes for DWLS criminal charges. Your attorney can vacate the plea
on the grounds that you did not know you would become an HTO by pleading
guilty. Then with a re-opened case, your attorney can fight to have the
charge reduced to an NVDL.
Living in Miami or Broward, driving is essential. Our public transportation
system is not extensive or user-friendly enough for us to rely upon it.
And with Miami-Dade and Broward so spread-out, it often takes an hour
or more just to get from Point A to Point B, and that's not even taking
into account the traffic congestion. In other words, you need to be able
to drive here in Miami-Dade County.
Call my office today to discuss how to fix your suspended license, or how to remove the habitual
traffic offender (HTO) designation.