Traffic citations are one of the most common legal problems faced by college students. While many traffic offenses are minor in nature, it is essential that you take appropriate action to eliminate further complications.

Simply ignoring the citation may result in the issuance of a warrant for your arrest, a suspension of your driver's license, increased insurance rates, and points being assessed against your driving record.

Before continuing with this article, please understand that the information contained herin is general in nature and is not designed to take the place of legal counsel.

Any specific quesions should be addressed to our office located in 135 Boucke Building or to another attorney.

The most common scenario for receiving a traffic citation occurs when a police officer observes what he or she believes to be a violation under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code.

The poice officer will initiate a traffic stop and ask to see your driver's license, vehicle registration, and insurance card. It is a violation of the law not to stop when directed to do so by a police officer, as is failure to produce your license, registration, and insurance card.

After reviewing the validity of your documents the police officer will either issue a warning or citation.

You should not become irrational toward the officer or begin arguing about the charge, as this may further complicate matters.

If you receive a traffic citation, you have several options. Whichever option you choose, you have ten days from the date of the citation to respond.

The first option is to plead "guilty" by mail. To do this, simply follow the instructions on the reverse side of the citation and be sure to enclose a check for the proper amount.

The second option you have is to plead "guilty" at the local district justice's office. This option sould be considered if you cannot pay the entire amount of the fine in one payment and want to request paying in installments.

The third option is to plead "not guilty" by mail. To do this, again follow the instructions on the reverse of the citation. The final option is to plead "not guilty" at the district justice's office.

By pleading "not guilty," you are notifying the court of your desire to request a hearing. A hearing will be scheduled and you will be notified in advance of the date and time. After you receive notice of the hearing date, you ndeed to prepare for your defense. How to properly prepare for your hearing will be addressed in a future forum.