Testimonies 2
Anne
Summons for hit-and-run
Anne was momentarily inattentive while leaving a parking space in the Aldi parking lot. She hit a bollard. She got out, put the bollard back in place, and then continued driving. A passerby saw everything, wrote down Anne's license plate number, and called the police.
The police filed a report, and Anne was summoned to appear in court for hit-and-run (a serious offense). Anne risked a €1,600.00 fine and a one-month driving ban.
Anne sought assistance from our experts. Following their advice, Anne gathered several documents demonstrating that she had not been drinking at the time of the collision. Together with our experts, Anne convinced the judge that she acted in good faith, that there was no damage to the bollard, and that Anne had no intention of committing a hit-and-run. The police judge downgraded the hit-and-run offense to failing to remain at the scene of an accident, a minor offense. Anne received a €160.00 fine and was not given a driving ban.
Glenn
Summons for excessive speed
Glenn was speeding, driving 90 km/h where the speed limit was 50 km/h. The police immediately pulled him over, and Glenn's driver's license was immediately revoked for 15 days. Glenn had only had his license for a year. As a young driver, he was automatically summoned to appear in court.
As a young driver, Glenn risked a hefty fine and a driving ban of 21 days to a month, with the return of his driving license dependent on passing the theory test again.
Glenn was assisted by our experts. The magistrate recommended that he take a speeding awareness course. The magistrate accepted the plea, and Glenn was granted probation. This means Glenn will not have to pay a fine, will not be banned from driving, and will not have to retake his theory test, provided he completes the course. The conviction will also not appear on his criminal record.
Thomas
Summons for drunk driving
Thomas had a bit too much to drink. After a night out, he was pulled over and had a blood alcohol content of 0.2%. In such a case, a summons to appear in the police court always follows.
In principle, the police judge should impose an alcohol interlock in such cases; exceptions are only possible in exceptional circumstances and with justification. In addition, Thomas risked a €1,600.00 fine and a driving ban of at least one month.
Thomas consulted our experts immediately after the incident. Our experts advised Thomas to undergo a blood test every two months pending the hearing of the case before the police court. This allowed Thomas to demonstrate at the time of the hearing that he did not have a drinking problem. Based on our experts' advice, other documents were submitted to the police judge, demonstrating that this was a one-time offense. Thanks to the advice and assistance of our experts, no alcohol interlock was imposed. Thomas received the minimum fine of €1,600.00, of which he only had to pay half, given his clean criminal record and financial situation. A 15-day driving ban was imposed, limited to the driving time.