Challenging Chester County License Suspensions

In Chester County, Pennsylvania, the laws for traffic are governed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation like the rest of the commonwealth. After a person obtains a certain number of points or infractions against his or her license, the license is ultimately suspended usually for a one-year period.

Those individuals may find it very difficult to obtain car insurance and/or civil penalties can be imposed in the future. Therefore, challenging Chester County license suspensions is cause for consulting an experienced traffic attorney for your case.

What is the Impact of Pleading Guilty in a Traffic Case?

Pleading guilty not only waives their right to a hearing before a court with an attorney present, they waive any challenge to their license being suspended. If an individual has done so without the advice of an attorney and as a result finds out their license is later suspended, as long as it is within the 30-day period for which a person pleads guilty, an appeal can be made by an experienced Chester County traffic attorney and the matter can be turned over to the court in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

What is a De Novo Appeal?

A de novo appeal, that is, an appeal to a higher court can be made and new plea arrangements can be worked out with the right attorney and the right set of facts. Even the worst cases such as an individual losing their license could be eligible for challenging Chester County license suspensions.

After 30 days, there is no chance of reinstatement of an individual’s license other than petitioning the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for a work license and/or a very limited use for a license for employment purposes only.

What is Justifiable Use for a Suspended License?

Under no circumstances can an individual use a license other than an individual seeking employment and/or added employment which must be verified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. However, those employment licenses and/or what are otherwise known as Cinderella licenses are limited and often only allow an individual to drive for very short periods on particular days where they can verify employment directly with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Retaining a Capable Attorney

To avoid the humiliation of having an employer know the circumstances, one should always seek out the services of a Chester County traffic attorney at the earliest possible point. Only then can a person be assured that rights will be preserved and protected. And, hopefully, with the right guidance, any negative impact regarding an earlier guilty plea or suspension can be changed in favor of a less harsh sentence and a less harsh suspension to one’s life.

Without the right guidance, a license suspension can lead to their inability to drive for periods of one year or more. Without challenging Chester County license suspensions. someone could lose their employment, reputation, and any future driving while under revocation only extends the period of suspension.