Charges Reduced for Improperly Passing a School Bus
You must know how tough it becomes to notice school bus lights during those foggy winter mornings. In fact, there are chances that you pass it without noticing the flashing red lights.
And the moment you do this, there is a 99% chance that you will face a charge! Added to that, the penalties for this offense are quite severe. Along with a $250 fine, you could also face a 60-day license suspension and 5 points on your license!
Our client, a New Jersey student, faced this exact problem. He was charged with improperly passing a school bus. However, he was smart enough to realize that he needed strong legal help. And that made him call our Logue Law Group and hire a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer. Follow along the blog to know what happened next.
How Did the Incident Happen?
Our client was a college student from New Jersey. He was staying at his grandparents’ in Pennsylvania. In the morning of the incident, he was following a school bus on a two-lane road. The bus driver activated the lights. But since the weather was foggy, our client couldn’t notice it and pulled out to pass the bus before the red lights activated.
The bus driver reported the incident and filed a police report. A citation was later mailed to our client. He was charged with violating Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 3345, which deals with passing a school bus.
Now, for a student, such kind of charges can lead to a major problem. He needed to drive to school and work. That’s why hiring a Pittsburgh criminal lawyer was his best option.
What Defense Strategies Did We Use?
The very first thing that we did was review the details of the case. Our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers studied the police report carefully and focused on the specific wording of the law.
According to the law, you cannot pass a bus when its red lights are flashing. But our client passed the bus while the yellow lights were on. This was our key point of argument! The law does not prohibit passing a bus with yellow lights. This was a critical distinction that our team of knowledgeable Pittsburgh criminal lawyers found out. This point helped us build our defense plan. We presented our case to the District Attorney and showcased the legal ambiguity. We also explained our client’s situation and showed proof that he did not have a bad record. He was a student. He was not a reckless driver.
And finally, the prosecutor was receptive to our arguments. They agreed to reduce the charge for a less serious charge of failing to obey a traffic signal. This was a much less serious offense, as it carried a minimal fine and added zero points to our client’s license. Most importantly, our client got saved from a 60-day license suspension, which was more than what he expected! Apart from that, his New Jersey license was also safe. That’s how our skilled Pittsburgh criminal lawyers find weaknesses and extract a favorable outcome through negotiation for our clients. So, if you have been involved in such kind of issues, and need legal support, don’t hesitate to contact us at 844.PITT.DUI and schedule a free consultation.