Traffic Charges Are Not “Just a Ticket”

A traffic citation can look like a minor inconvenience and quietly turn into something much larger. In Tennessee, certain traffic offenses are criminal, not civil — reckless driving, driving on a revoked or suspended license, and DUI all carry potential jail time, fines, and lasting consequences for a driving record, insurance rates, and employment. Brooks Law Firm represents drivers in traffic and misdemeanor driving matters throughout Memphis, Shelby County, and the surrounding area.

Not every ticket needs an attorney. Some do. We give honest advice about which category a case falls into, and when a lawyer is genuinely worth the cost.

“Paying a ticket is a conviction. Before a client does that, they should know what that conviction costs them — today and two years from now.”

Traffic Matters We Handle

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-205 is a Class B misdemeanor carrying potential jail time. It is often charged after a high-speed stop or an accident, and it is not a simple traffic ticket.

Driving on Revoked or Suspended License

Charges under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-50-504 for driving on a revoked, suspended, or cancelled license — including matters complicated by prior offenses or an underlying DUI revocation.

Speeding & Major Moving Violations

Excessive speed citations, improper passing, following too closely, and other moving violations that place points on the driver’s record or threaten license status.

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Matters

Traffic charges involving CDL holders, where federal motor carrier regulations and Tennessee’s masking prohibitions can mean that even minor violations carry career-ending consequences.

DUI & Related Offenses

Driving under the influence under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-10-401 and implied consent matters — a core part of our criminal defense practice.

Leaving the Scene & Failure to Report

Charges involving failure to remain at the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, or failure to report a collision, under Tennessee’s accident-reporting statutes.

Financial Responsibility & No Insurance

Violations of Tennessee’s financial responsibility law, including citations for operating without insurance and the collateral consequences for license and registration.

License Restoration & Restricted Licenses

Petitions for restricted licenses and representation in matters involving license reinstatement after revocation or suspension.

Why a Simple “Pay and Be Done” Can Backfire

Paying a traffic ticket is not the same as making it go away. Under Tennessee law, paying the fine is a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, and the conviction attaches to the driver’s record. That conviction can:

  • Add points to the driver’s record under the Tennessee Department of Safety’s point system, with potential license suspension after too many points accumulate.
  • Trigger a significant insurance premium increase, often for three years or more.
  • Violate a condition of existing probation, diversion, or a restricted license.
  • Interact with federal regulations in the case of CDL holders, where some offenses cannot be masked, deferred, or diverted at all.
  • Create immigration consequences in certain categories of offense.

For some drivers, none of this matters much. For others — especially CDL holders, new drivers, and those already on a restricted license — it can matter a great deal.

Where Traffic Cases Are Heard

  • Memphis City Court — for citations issued within the City of Memphis for ordinance violations.
  • General Sessions Court of Shelby County — for state traffic charges issued in Shelby County, including criminal traffic offenses such as reckless driving and driving on a revoked license.
  • Criminal Court of Shelby County — where a traffic matter is bound over or indicted as a felony, such as vehicular assault or vehicular homicide.
  • Municipal courts of the surrounding cities — Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, and others, each with its own procedures.

How We Handle a Traffic Case

1. Record Review

Before court, we pull the client’s driving record and any relevant criminal history. The right strategy on a ticket depends on what the record already shows.

2. Negotiation With the Prosecutor

Many traffic matters resolve by negotiated disposition — a reduced charge, a diversion or deferred judgment where eligible, or dismissal on completion of court-ordered conditions. Availability varies by court, charge, and record.

3. Court Appearance

In most routine traffic matters, an attorney can appear on the client’s behalf, saving the client a trip to court. For contested cases, the client appears and the case is tried to the judge.

4. Trial

Where the charge is serious enough, or the evidence is thin, we try the case. Traffic cases can turn on technical issues — radar calibration, the officer’s observations, the elements of the offense — and a careful cross-examination can make a real difference.

Working With Brooks Law Firm

Brooks Law Firm is a Memphis-based practice serving clients across Shelby County and the surrounding area. The firm’s attorneys — Robert Brooks, Patrick Brooks, and Beth Brooks — handle each matter personally. Spanish-language services are available. For many traffic matters, an initial consultation by telephone is sufficient to decide whether a lawyer is needed at all.