Unfortunately a construction zone ticket can be issued whether a worker is present or not (
625ILCS 5/11-605.1(a) & (a-5)). The fine (separate from assessable “court costs”) is required to be a minimum of $250.00 with a maximum of $1000.00.
A second or further violation has a minimum fine of $750.00 and a maximum of $1000.00. Driving more than 26 mph over the limit but less than 35 may be charged as aggravated speeding which is a class (b) misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in a county jail and $1500.00 in fines.
Driving more than 35 mph over in work zone is a class (a) misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in a county jail and $2,500.00 in fines.
An Illinois driver convicted of a construction zone violation when workers are present twice will have their license suspended for 90 days.
When you are ticketed you will be issued a “Uniform Traffic Ticket” with a gold and blue carbon copy. The copies will show your first court appearance date known as an initial appearance. For petty offenses, the purpose of that date is generally for you to appear before the court and inform the court of your intent to hire an attorney or not, plead guilty or not guilty, and inform the court of what work needs to be done to set the matter for trial i.e. discovery of information or negotiation with the State’s Attorney.
Failing to appear on your court date for a petty offense can result in a warrant being issued for your arrest within the State of Illinois and the suspension of your driver’s license privileges. However, tickets are often issued to out-of-state or out-of county drivers who cannot readily come back to Pulaski County for court. Our Attorney can appear in court for you! When you hire our attorney he can enter his appearance with the court on your behalf, make your court appearances for you, and update you on the progress of your case. Don’t fail to appear, hire our attorneys to do it for you saving you both time and money.
In order to avoid failing to appear, some people will simply pay the ticket. While this seems simpler, it can create big problems for your license. Its possible for the number and types of driving violations to lead to a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license by Illinois or another state. Even if you live and are licensed out of state,
Illinois could suspend your privileges. This may be your first ticket in Illinois but you may receive others later. Because of these concerns, our attorney can work to obtain a negotiated court outcome for you which does not count towards future violations.
We accept cash (in person), money order, checks, and debit / credit cards for our legal fees AND for court fines and costs. This gives you flexibility in how you make payments.