Serious Traffic Case Dismissed

Jan 27, 2017

OUTCOME: License Restored

In Florida, if you are classified as a "habitual traffic offender" (HTO) by the DHSMV, your driver's license is immediately revoked for 5 years. No questions asked, no hearing, no nothing. This can hap ... pen for many reasons, but most often it is for receiving three civil citations for "driving while license suspended without knowledge" at any time within 5 years. This is more common than you may think, as things like court fines, out of state child support, or any manner of financial issues can suspend your license without you knowing it. Even if you pay all your citations and do everything asked, if you are "HTO'd", you're done. Here, we had a single, 32 year old mother who had this exact experience, and lost her license for 5 years, though she had cleared all her suspensions and paid her civil citations in full. She was no longer able to take her son to school, go to the grocery store, go to work, etc., for FIVE YEARS. She ended up spending hundreds of dollars in Uber rides each month for a year just to complete basic life requirements. We were able to petition the court in go back in time on two of her prior civil citations to remove the adjudications of guilt, and enter "withholds of adjudication" which would not implicate the "3 within 5 rule" and reverse her habitual traffic offender designation. She now has a valid license, has committed no traffic offenses, and can do things like take her son to school. Life changer for her.