Utah Criminal Defense Attorney in Salt Lake City

Will a traffic ticket be considered a probation violation in Utah?

In most Utah criminal cases, a traffic ticket will not be considered a probation violation. But the specific probation requirements imposed by a judge will be different in each case. If a person is unsure of the terms of probation, an experienced criminal defense attorney can help.

Based in Salt Lake City, criminal lawyer Stephen Howard provides legal services to clients throughout Utah. Contact us today to arrange for a confidential consultation.

Probation Conditions in Utah Criminal Cases

When a person is placed on probation in Utah, a nearly universal condition imposed by judges will be that the person must violate any state, local, or federal laws. Read literally, this could include traffic tickets. Some judges will specifically state that a minor traffic violation will not be treated as a violation of probation. But even if it is not specifcally stated, a traffic ticket will usually not trigger an order to show cause and most Utah judges will not revoke probation for a minor traffic violation.

Although it is rare, Utah law does allow a judge to impose conditions of probation that can include having no traffic violations while on probation. If a person has a driving record with an excessive number of traffic violations, or if the present case involved both traffic and criminal charges, a judge may be more likely to inlude traffic violations in the conditions of probation. But in such circumstances, the judge can be expected to specifically state that minor traffic violations will be considered probation violations.

A DUI, driving with metabolite, or impaired driving charge will not be considered a minor traffic violation by most Utah judges, and will likely result in an order to show cause being issued. Driving on a suspended or revoked license, driving without registration, or driving without insurance are also likely to trigger an order to show cause.

Status of Traffic Tickets under Utah Law

It is surprising to many people to learn that Utah law classifies many minor traffic violations as misdemeanor offenses. Even a parking ticket can be charged as a criminal misdemeanor.

While most traffic citations will not appear on an official criminal history report, court dockets and orders will often record minor traffic offenses as misdemeanor convictions. Even if you are never required to go to court, even if you resolve the case with a "voluntary bail forfeiture" (paying the fine without admitting guilt), the case can still be entered in the court records as a criminal conviction.

Finding a Utah Criminal Attorney in Salt Lake City

Based in Salt Lake City, criminal defense attorney Stephen Howard offers legal services to clients throughout Utah. He has extensive experience defending probation violations and orders to show cause. His track record in defending felony and misdemeanor includes not guilty verdicts, dismissals, and appellate reversals in some of the most serious charges on the books in Utah.

If you are facing an order to show cause for a probation violation, or if you have a pending criminal charge, contact us now to schedule an initial consultation with Utah criminal defense lawyer Stephen Howard.

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