Bartlesville CDL Ticket Attorney
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 1.9 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the U.S. in 2018. Within the next ten years, there are expected to be an additional 100,000 jobs for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers created. There were 681,400 bus drivers in the U.S. in 2018 – with expected job growth of 32,800 in the next ten years. And every one of these drivers needs a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to do his job.
But, if you have a CDL, you will likely need a CDL lawyer. If you are convicted of even a minor traffic offense, you can lose your CDL – and your job – for an extended period of time. That’s why, if you get a traffic ticket, it’s important to have a competent CDL attorney defending you, and protecting your livelihood.
If you need a CDL ticket lawyer, the Persaud Law Office can help defend you. Contact us to set up your initial consultation.
Oklahoma CDL Attorney Services
The main role of a CDL traffic attorney is CDL ticket defense. If you receive a ticket while operating a commercial motor vehicle, you will have the opportunity to appear in court and contest your ticket. If you are ticketed for a city traffic violation, your case will be heard in the municipal (city) court where you were ticketed. If you are ticketed for a state traffic violation, your case will be heard in the state court in the county where you were ticketed.
If you go to trial and are found not guilty, your ticket will not count toward having your CDL suspended. If you are found guilty, the court will send a copy of your conviction to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and, depending on the offense, DPS may suspend your CDL. The Persaud Law Office can represent you if you decide to contest your ticket. We will represent you in municipal court in any city or town in Washington County. We will also represent you in state court in Washington County.
Even if you are convicted in court, you can prevent a CDL suspension by appealing your case. If you are convicted in a state court, or in a municipal court in Tulsa or Oklahoma City, you may appeal to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. If you are convicted in a municipal court outside of Tulsa or Oklahoma City, you may appeal to the state court in the county where the town is located. From the state court, you may then appeal to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. DPS may not use your conviction as a basis for suspending your license, as long as your case is under appeal. If you win on appeal, the appeals court will throw out your conviction, and your conviction will not cause you to lose your license. If you lose on appeal, the court will send your conviction to DPS, and the conviction can cause you to lose your license. The Persaud Law Office handles appeals throughout Oklahoma.
Violations in Oklahoma that Could Lead to a CDL Suspension
If, within three years, you have convictions for more than two “serious traffic offenses”, DPS must suspend you CDL for sixty days. If, within three years, you have convictions for more than three “serious traffic offenses”, DPS must suspend your CDL for 120 days. “Serious traffic offenses” include speeding 15 mph over, unsafe lane changes, or following too closely. For a complete list of “serious traffic offenses” click here.
If you have a conviction for even one “disqualifying offense”, DPS must suspend your CDL for one year or more. If you have a conviction for one “disqualifying offense” while operating a vehicle required to be placarded for hazardous materials, DPS must suspend your CDL for three years. If you have two convictions for “disqualifying offenses” DPS must suspend your CDL for life.
“Disqualifying offenses” include driving a commercial motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more, or driving any vehicle (commercial or non-commercial) while under the influence of alcohol. Disqualifying offenses also include leaving the scene of a collision, using a vehicle to commit a felony, or manslaughter homicide or negligent homicide as a result of operating any motor vehicle (commercial or non-commercial).
For a complete list of “disqualifying offenses” click here.
DPS must also suspend your CDL if you violate an out-of-service order, or if you are convicted of a “railroad highway grade crossing offense.” For a full explanation of when the State may suspend your CDL, click here.
Contact a Bartlesville CDL Lawyer
If you’ve had a CDL ticket, or other types of ticket that could lead to a loss of your license, don’t despair. The Persaud Law Office can help you with CDL ticket defense. Contact us today.
