Traffic, Portland, Oregon Law Services

Traffic Crimes

Are you charged with a traffic crime? Traffic crimes are criminal violations of the rules of the road. The difference between a crime and an infraction is major. Traffic crimes carry jail penalties, fines, and license suspensions. By contrast, traffic violations or infractions are usually only punishable by a fine.

They travel in pairs

We often see traffic crimes issued as a companion citation to some other violation. For example, if a client is charged with drinking and driving (DUII), it's not unusual to see a Reckless Driving charge attached depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. Often a traffic crime starts with a speeding ticket and gets out of hand, or a traffic accident becomes a Hit and Run, a Criminal Mischief, or even a DUII. Sometimes the client just flunks the attitude test with the police and they end up with a fistful of tickets. Often these cases begin because the police simply didn't do a thorough enough investigation, and if they had looked a little closer, no charges would have issued at all. That's enormously frustrating.

Problem Solved

  How we handle the case depends on the kind of traffic crime. For some crimes such as Hit and Run (property) and Criminal Mischief we can often get the case dismissed with a Civil Compromise. A Civil Compromise is a complex set of documents we prepare between you and the complaining party. In exchange for you doing something for them, such as a letter of apology or paying for property damage, they agree to dismiss the case. There is no admission of guilt.

  Other times it's possible to get the crime reduced to a violation upon payment for damages, like getting a Reckless Driving crime reduced to a Careless Driving infraction by showing it was covered by insurance. In other circumstances we have arranged deferred sentences where a case is dismissed upon successful completion of certain conditions. Finally there's trial. We try more driving while suspended cases than just about anyone. Traffic cases are seemingly simple on the surface, but that's where the simplicity ends. At trial they become increasingly challenging to prove because of the kind and quantity of evidence that the prosecutor often forgets to bring or doesn't know to bring to court. Oops.

  As for DUII that crime is so different from the rest of the traffic crimes, we only touch on it here. It's explained more fully elsewhere on this web site.

Are you charged with a traffic crime? Let's talk.

Criminal Mischief II
Criminal Mischief I
Driving while revoked
DUII
DWS(F) Driving while suspended felony
DWS(M) Driving while suspended misdemeanor
Failure to perform duties of a witness at accident
Failure to perform the duties of a driver where property is damaged
Failure to perform the duties of a driver where people are injured/killed
False application for a driver's license
False swearing to receive license
False information about Insurance

FFI Furnishing false information to a police officer
Hit and run
PSV Possession of stolen vehicle
Reckless driving
Reckless endangering
Reckless driving
UUV/UUMV Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

Kahn & Ifversen Attorneys, L.L.P.
The initial telephone consultation is free
(503) 241-4105

Kahn and Ifversen Attorneys are criminal defense lawyers who care about what happens to their clients. We've been protecting good people in trouble for over 17 years. Our law firm emphasizes: Ballot Measure 11 felonies, appeals, criminal record expungements, theft crimes, traffic crimes, DUII / DWI, assault crimes, drug crimes, DMV hearings, and other felony crimes and misdemeanors.

We practice criminal law throughout Oregon and primarily in the following geographic areas: Multnomah County, Washington County, Clackamas County, Hood River County, Columbia County, Tillamook County, Marion County, Deschutes County, Lane County, Yamhill County, Columbia County, Benton County, and Linn County. Our criminal defense law firm is located in downtown Portland, Oregon.





	Traffic Crimes Are you charged with a traffic crime? Traffic crimes are criminal violations of the rules of the road. The difference between a crime and an infraction is major. Traffic crimes carry jail penalties, fines, and license suspensions. By contrast, traffic violations or infractions are usually only punishable by a fine. They travel in pairs We often see traffic crimes issued as a companion citation to some other violation. For example, if a client is charged with drinking and driving (DUII), it's not unusual to see a Reckless Driving charge attached depending on the facts and circumstances of the case. Often a traffic crime starts with a speeding ticket and gets out of hand, or a traffic accident becomes a Hit and Run, a Criminal Mischief, or even a DUII. Sometimes the client just flunks the attitude test with the police and they end up with a fistful of tickets. Often these cases begin because the police simply didn't do a thorough enough investigation, and if they had looked a little closer, no charges would have issued at all. That's enormously frustrating. Problem Solved How we handle the case depends on the kind of traffic crime. For some crimes such as Hit and Run (property) and Criminal Mischief we can often get the case dismissed with a Civil Compromise. A Civil Compromise is a complex set of documents we prepare between you and the complaining party. In exchange for you doing something for them, such as a letter of apology or paying for property damage, they agree to dismiss the case. There is no admission of guilt. Other times it's possible to get the crime reduced to a violation upon payment for damages, like getting a Reckless Driving crime reduced to a Careless Driving infraction by showing it was covered by insurance. In other circumstances we have arranged deferred sentences where a case is dismissed upon successful completion of certain conditions. Finally there's trial. We try more driving while suspended cases than just about anyone. Traffic cases are seemingly simple on the surface, but that's where the simplicity ends. At trial they become increasingly challenging to prove because of the kind and quantity of evidence that the prosecutor often forgets to bring or doesn't know to bring to court. Oops. As for DUII that crime is so different from the rest of the traffic crimes, we only touch on it here. It's explained more fully elsewhere on this web site. Are you charged with a traffic crime? Let's talk. Criminal Mischief II Criminal Mischief I Driving while revoked DUII DWS(F) Driving while suspended felony DWS(M) Driving while suspended misdemeanor Failure to perform duties of a witness at accident Failure to perform the duties of a driver where property is damaged Failure to perform the duties of a driver where people are injured/killed False application for a driver's license False swearing to receive license False information about Insurance FFI Furnishing false information to a police officer Hit and run PSV Possession of stolen vehicle Reckless driving Reckless endangering Reckless driving UUV/UUMV Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle Kahn & Ifversen Attorneys, L.L.P. The initial telephone consultation is free (503) 241-4105 Kahn and Ifversen Attorneys are criminal defense lawyers who care about what happens to their clients. We've been protecting good people in trouble for over 17 years. Our law firm emphasizes: Ballot Measure 11 felonies, appeals, criminal record expungements, theft crimes, traffic crimes, DUII / DWI, assault crimes, drug crimes, DMV hearings, and other felony crimes and misdemeanors. We practice criminal law throughout Oregon and primarily in the following geographic areas: Multnomah County, Washington County, Clackamas County, Hood River County, Columbia County, Tillamook County, Marion County, Deschutes County, Lane County, Yamhill County, Columbia County, Benton County, and Linn County. Our criminal defense law firm is located in downtown Portland, Oregon.