Fighting a Junior Operator (JOL) Citation in Massachusetts can be a necessary evil. If you pay the ticket, the junior operator will receive a lengthy suspension, a hefty fee, driver retraining, and will have to retake the license exam. But appealing the ticket is not a guarantee that those penalties will be avoided. It is important for a Junior Operator to put their best foot forward to try to keep the consequences at bay.

M.G.L. 90C Section 2 states in relevant part: "A failure to give a copy of the citation to the violator at the time and place of the violation shall constitute a defense in any court proceeding for such violation, except where the violator could not have been stopped..."

A common question that arises with Massachusetts tickets is whether it is too late to fight the ticket.  Here is a breakdown of when you still have an opportunity to do so, and when it is too late.

A speeding ticket received between Thanksgiving and New Years can be one more thing added to your long list of holiday obligations.

In Massachusetts, a speeding ticket is a civil offense. Unlike criminal offenses, it is not mandatory to appear in court. You have the choice to either accept responsibility and pay the ticket, or appeal the ticket and fight it.

On the Massachusetts Turnpike (Route 90), and other roads deemed “Metropolitan Roadways” by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a special set of regulations exist governing travel on the highways.

In my practice, I run into a lot of tickets written for red light violation. When I speak with the operator, most are adamant that the light was not red when they passed through the intersection.

If you are driving in Massachusetts this spring and summer, keep a close watch out for areas marked as work zones.  These areas (especially on highways like the turnpike) typically have reduced speed limits

In Massachusetts, the state and local police are out in full force during the summer months handing out speeding tickets and other traffic violations.

If you receive a speeding ticket before you turn 18 in MA and are found responsible on that ticket you will face a mandatory suspension, a $500 reinstatement fee, have to undergo a driver retraining class, and have to retake your license exam.