Can I Go to Jail if I Do Not Pay a Wisconsin Parking Ticket?

 Posted on February 08, 2023 in Criminal Defense

Nearly everybody gets a parking ticket at some point in their life. While traffic violation tickets are a hassle and often quite expensive, they require the recipient’s urgent attention, either by paying or contesting them right away. Failing to address a parking ticket or ticket for any other traffic violation can lead to increased fines for the original ticket, license suspension, getting a boot on your car, and even more serious criminal consequences, like potential jail time. If you have an unpaid parking ticket and you are trying to decide what to do, read on.

Should I Fight a Parking or Traffic Ticket?

Many people do choose to fight their parking or traffic tickets, whether because they do not believe they committed the act they were cited for or because they believe they simply have good odds of beating the ticket in court. If you decide to try to fight your ticket, you need to appear in traffic court before the ticket’s due date and tell the judge you plan on not pleading guilty (paying the ticket implies a guilty plea). The judge will then schedule a trial, during which the government will need to prove you are guilty of the violation.

What if I Do Not Pay a Traffic Ticket?

Because of the expense, inconvenience, or on principle, some people simply choose to neither contest nor pay their parking and traffic tickets. This is a major mistake that can land someone in serious trouble with the law. Normal parking tickets will not get you quickly sent to jail, but if left unpaid, the rate goes up significantly, and, as time goes on, your registration may be suspended, your vehicle may be booted or impounded, and you may even have your license suspended. You could lose your car permanently and, if you drive on a suspended license or try to remove a “boot” from your car, you could face serious consequences.

Which Traffic Violations Have Criminal Consequences?

In addition to the criminal consequences you might face for an unpaid traffic violation ticket, certain types of traffic violations are automatically criminal behaviors. For example, failing to stop at a red light, driving under the influence, or reckless driving may be misdemeanor traffic tickets. Hit and run car accidents, vehicular manslaughter, or endangering a minor in a vehicle can all be prosecuted as felony traffic violations.

Contact a Walworth County, WI Traffic Violation Defense Lawyer

Depending on how much time has gone by since you received your traffic violation ticket, you may already be facing criminal consequences for not paying or appearing in court. Get help from a Dodge County, WI traffic violation defense attorney with Bucher Law Group, LLC by calling our offices today at 262-303-4916 and scheduling a free consultation.

Source:

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/vehicles/prkg-tckt/unpaid-tickets.aspx