Operating on a Suspended License

Being arrested for “Operating on a Suspended License” is a difficult & humiliating experience.

You can be charged for operating on a suspended license if your right to drive in Massachusetts has been suspended or revoked. In many cases, you may not have even been aware that your license was under suspension. You may have received a few speeding tickets that you have not paid, or maybe you moved so the registry paperwork never caught up with you. Whatever the reason, you were likely shocked to find yourself arrested or summonsed to court on a criminal charge.

In order to convict you of Operating on a Suspended License, the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt the following three facts:

1. That you operated a motor vehicle.
2. That your license was suspended or revoked, and
3. That you received notice that your right to drive in Massachusetts had been suspended or revoked.

Penalties for Operating on a Suspended License

Driving on a suspended license may not sound terrible, but it is still a criminal charge and should be taken seriously. A guilty plea on a Suspended License carries with it potentially serious penalties, including jail time and/or fines.

The penalty for a first offense may include:

• A fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, and/or
• Imprisonment for not more than ten days.

The penalty for a subsequent offense may include:

• A fine of not less than five hundred nor more than five thousand dollars, and/or
• Imprisonment for not less than 60 days nor more than one year.

Our Defense Strategy for Operating on a Suspended License

Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to beat a Massachusetts “Suspended License” charge, and keep your record clean. At The Law Offices of Elliot Savitz & Scott Bradley, we often get these cases dismissed for lack of probable cause at a Clerk’s Hearing.  Other times, the police did not cite the driver within the statutory framework or file it in court on time. We also employ defense motions to suppress on grounds of improper questioning and violation of Miranda rights, or probable cause to stop the vehicle in the first place.

Strategies vary widely from case to case, so please call The Law Offices of Elliot Savitz & Scott Bradley at, (781) 974-3429 today to discuss the specifics of your situation. We’ll provide a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION and help fight to keep your record clean.