Investigation Shows Gators Players Have 251 Traffic Citations Team-Wide
Just before the holidays, the Orlando Sentinel undertook an investigation that amused our Fort Lauderdale traffic ticket defense attorneys. According to the Dec. 22 article, Florida Gators team members have racked up a total of 251 traffic tickets in Alachua County, where Gainesville is located, between 2006 and 2009. Thirty-two of those cases have not yet been resolved, meaning the ticket has not been paid or the charges were not resolved. This includes traffic citations of all types, including tickets that didn’t lead to an arrest as well as high-profile incidents like the DUI arrest of Carlos Dunlap on Dec. 1. The newspaper counted citations among 96 students who participated in Gators games or were listed as participants in the organization.
The traffic offenses were not evenly distributed throughout the team, the investigation found. Twelve Gators players have seven or more tickets. By contrast, 32 have no tickets at all. Among them is quarterback Tim Tebow, as well as 11 students who haven’t yet been on campus for a full year. Most of the traffic offenses counted were citations rather than criminal charges, for offenses like speeding and expired registration. Dunlap had the only drunk driving charge, but others on the team had been arrested for repeatedly driving with a suspended license. A state’s attorney told the newspaper that this is a common problem in Florida because too many unpaid traffic tickets of any kind can trigger a suspension. A driver caught with a suspended license will be issued yet another citation for that offense -- but failure to pay that ticket could lead to arrest.
As West Palm Beach traffic citation criminal defense lawyers, we see this process at work for all kinds of drivers, most of whom are not football stars. Younger people aren’t always the most responsible drivers, which is one reason why their auto insurance rates are higher. Getting traffic tickets, and failing to pay them, is not the best behavior, but they’re not unusual for young adults getting their first taste of freedom. As the article notes, Florida’s license-suspension process is almost notorious for leading to surprise arrests, for people who had no idea that failure to pay tickets could mean jail. And many of the Gators players are famous, which means they may be victims of officers’ eagerness to show that they don’t play favorites.
If you’re facing severe consequences for traffic infractions, Balliro Seltzer LLC can help even if you’re not a star athlete. Even minor Florida traffic citations, such as speeding or red light camera tickets, can have severe consequences when they add up. Not only can your license be suspended, causing problems with home at work, but too many tickets can cause a sharp increase in your auto insurance rates. Paying a ticket counts as an automatic admission of guilt, so if you don’t believe you’re guilty, you should absolutely talk to our Miami-Dade traffic infraction defense attorneys before making a decision. For people with multiple tickets, we may be able to negotiate a settlement for multiple tickets that brings down the cost and keeps your driving record reasonably clean. We will vigorously defend more serious charges to ensure that our clients stay out of jail and behind the wheel whenever appropriate.
Balliro Seltzer understands that criminal charges happen at all times, not just from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. That’s why we’re available 24 hours a day and seven days a week to help clients and potential clients. To set up a free consultation or learn more, please contact us through our Web site or call 1-866-ARRESTED toll-free from anywhere within Florida.
