Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Maybe some of your questions are answered below. If you have a question that’s not covered in this FAQs section, call us anytime at 214-382-0900.

Q) The Traylor Law Firm bonded me out. When do I go to court?

A) We will mail your court date to the address we were given when you were bonded. You may call us at 214-382-0900 to check your date. Your court date will usually be a couple of weeks to several months after you were bonded.

Q) The police didn’t read me my rights. Does that invalidate my arrest?

A) This is one of our favorite FAQs because people think they know the answer to this, but they usually don’t. The answer is no. Though TV and movies make you think otherwise, the police don’t have to read you your rights before an arrest. They only need to do so if they intend to use your responses to their questions after they arrest you against you in court. That doesn’t mean they always handle these matters correctly. Police officers can make many mistakes. Some mistakes will invalidate arrests and disqualify evidence. The Traylor Law Firm helps its clients evaluate whether correct search and seizure and arrest procedures were followed in their cases.

Q) The officer made a mistake on my ticket. Can it be dismissed?

A) It depends on the mistake. Many things on a ticket do not have to be proven in court to get a conviction. Some mistakes can lead to dismissal. Others may only be used to show that the officer’s other actions may have been similarly flawed.

Q) Do I have to turn myself in for you to lift my warrants?

A) That depends on the type of warrant. For class C violations, (tickets), the Traylor Law Firm can post attorney bonds to get a court date and remove the warrants. In more serious cases, it depends on what caused the warrants to issue. Because a warrant is simply a way of getting people to court, sometimes we can lift warrants even in more serious cases without an arrest or bond.

Q) I think my license may be suspended. How do I get it fixed so I can drive legally?

A) The State that issued your license will control what must be done to lift a suspension. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s website is available on our links page. You can check to see if your license is suspended, why it is suspended, and what needs to be done to drive legally again. Sometimes people have merely been denied a license renewal because of old tickets. The Warrant Hotline on our links page can inform you of any holds on your license. We can check whether we can help clear your holds. Call 214-382-0900.

Q) What is deferred adjudication?

A) This is one of our favorite and most important FAQs. Deferred adjudication is a type of probation in which the court finds there is enough evidence to find you guilty but waits to enter that finding of guilt. Instead, they give you a chance to complete a probation. If you complete the terms of probation, then a finding of guilt will never be entered and your case will be dismissed. For Class C deferred adjudications, there is no monthly meeting with a probation officer.

Q) I was stopped for speeding but the officer would not show me the radar/lidar. Don’t they have to show it if I ask?

A) The primary concern for police during a traffic stop is safety; they have no duty to show the radar or lidar to a citizen.

Q) “I cleared all my tickets by going to jail, and I haven’t received any tickets since my arrest; why do I have warrants?”

A) We hear this question frequently. It’s possible that there are old tickets that are in an inactive warrant status. In other words, there were warrants that could not be served at the time of your last arrest. If an agency activates these old warrants, you could still be arrested. Contact us today: we can help you find old warrants and prevent you from going back to jail.

Thanks for reading our FAQs. If you have any questions about these or any other related matters, call us at 214-382-0900.