Nextlaw - Ontario's Stunt Driving, DUI & U.S. Waiver Law Firm

The Officer No-Show Myth: Why You Need a Real Defense If you've decided to fight your speeding ticket, you might have heard that officers often don't show up for court and cases get dismissed. According to NextLaw's analysis, this is one of the most persistent—and dangerous—myths about fighting traffic tickets. The Reality: Officers Usually Appear Jon Cohen, who has attended thousands of traffic court proceedings, addresses this myth directly: in the vast majority of cases, officers do appear for trial. Estimates suggest officers show up 85-95% of the time when cases proceed to trial. Building your defense strategy around hoping the officer won't appear is not a strategy at all—it's wishful thinking that usually leads to conviction. Why Officers Typically Appear Dan Joffe, traffic lawyer at NextLaw, explains several reasons officers usually attend: - Court attendance is part of their job. Officers are scheduled for court days as part of their duties. Ap...