Traffic Violations questions and answers by state

• Oklahoma

Traffic Violations questions and answers

• charged with a federal misdemeanor,plea guilty due to language barrier. I'd like to Motion to Withdraw Guilt and appeal

  Asked in Lawton, OK | December 19, 2025

  I was involved in a minor traffic incident in a parking lot at Fort Sill. It was only a small vehicle collision (a minor scrape), and there was no injury or intent to damage property. The police officer who responded advised me that I only needed to pay the fine. At the hearing, both the judge and the prosecutor discussed that this incident was not considered a criminal case, and they indicated that the penalty could be downgraded. I was told that I could resolve the matter by paying a $100 fine. Because my English is limited and I have a language barrier, I understood that the case had been reduced to a traffic matter, not a criminal charge. Therefore, I agreed to pay the fine. I also emphasized at the time that I am a foreign-born individual and have difficulty fully understanding English. The next day, I contacted the court and was surprised to learn that I had been charged with a Class A misdemeanor under Title 18 §1361, which I did not understand at the time. I want to clarify that this was an unintentional, minor traffic incident and that I never intended to willfully damage any federal property! What do I need to do to correct any misunderstanding?

  Answered by 1 attorney