What is the penalty for fleeing and eluding police in Maryland?

In Maryland, fleeing and eluding a police officer is a serious misdemeanor. A first-time conviction can result in up to 1 year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and up to 12 points on your driving record, which triggers an automatic license revocation.

What happens if you are caught speeding over 90 mph in Maryland?

Speeding at excessively high speeds, such as over 90 mph on local highways, typically results in a mandatory court appearance rather than a simple payable ticket. It carries the risk of a reckless driving charge, excessive points, and severe insurance premium increases.

What is a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) for a Maryland traffic ticket?

Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) is a legal disposition in Maryland where a judge sets aside a guilty finding and places the driver on probation. Because the guilty finding is struck, the violation does not count as a conviction, and zero points are assessed to your Maryland driving record.

Traffic Defense Case Study | Ocean City MD

Traffic Case Study: Fleeing & Eluding and 90+ MPH Speeding

Facing a single traffic citation can be stressful, but facing a combination of high-speed violations and criminal traffic charges can jeopardize your entire future. In Maryland, certain moving violations elevate instantly from standard payable tickets to serious, jailable offenses that mandate an appearance in front of a Worcester County judge.

Attorney Paul Abu-Zaid has built a reputation over two decades for taking on complex, high-stakes traffic cases in Ocean City, MD. Below is a real-world case study illustrating how aggressive legal representation can dismantle severe charges and protect your permanent driving record.

The Situation: Multiple High-Level Traffic Charges

Our client was pulled over and faced a catastrophic list of traffic and criminal infractions following an incident on local roadways. The state aggressively charged the client with:

Fleeing and Eluding a Police Officer: A serious criminal traffic misdemeanor in Maryland.
Excessive Speeding: Clocked speeding in excess of 90 miles per hour.
Multiple Moving Violations: Several additional interconnected traffic offenses stemming from the high-speed incident.
Equipment Violations: Secondary citations related to the condition and legality of the vehicle itself.

The Legal Stakes: Why You Cannot Fight These Charges Alone

When you are accused of driving over 90 mph and attempting to evade law enforcement, the prosecution will almost always push for maximum penalties to make an example out of the driver. If the client had simply walked into the courtroom without seasoned representation, the outcome would likely have been devastating.

In Maryland, a conviction for fleeing and eluding carries up to 1 year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and up to 12 points on your license. Accumulating 12 points triggers an automatic, mandatory revocation of your driving privileges by the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Between the speeding and the fleeing charges, the client was facing the total loss of their driver’s license, thousands of dollars in compounding fines, massive insurance premium hikes, and a permanent criminal conviction on their background check.

The Defense Strategy and Outcome: Zero Points Assessed

Attorney Paul Abu-Zaid immediately began deconstructing the state’s case. By scrutinizing the police reports, the dashcam footage, and the procedural actions of the arresting officers, our firm identified crucial legal pathways to negotiate with the local Worcester County prosecutors.

Instead of the client facing a jail sentence or the revocation of their license, Attorney Abu-Zaid successfully negotiated a highly favorable disposition of Probation Before Judgment (PBJ).

Because a PBJ was secured, the judge officially struck the guilty finding. As a direct result:

The client avoided a formal criminal conviction on their permanent record.
Absolutely zero (0) points were assessed against the client’s driving license.
The client avoided skyrocketing, long-term auto insurance penalties.
The client retained their full legal right to drive.

What is a Probation Before Judgment (PBJ) in Maryland?

For drivers facing severe traffic infractions or DUI/DWI charges in Ocean City, a PBJ is often the most coveted legal outcome. Probation Before Judgment is a unique Maryland legal mechanism. If granted by a judge, you are technically placed on a probationary period, but the court defers entering a formal judgment of guilt.

Because you are not legally “convicted,” the MVA is not notified to assign points to your public driving record. Securing a PBJ requires an attorney who knows how to effectively present your character, driving history, and mitigating case factors to the judge and prosecution.

Are You Facing Serious Traffic Violations in Ocean City, MD?

High speeds, reckless driving, and criminal traffic charges require immediate, tactical intervention. Do not leave your freedom and your driving privileges up to chance. Whether you are a local resident, a commercial CDL driver, or an out-of-state visitor whose vacation ended in an arrest, you need local legal firepower.

CALL Paul: Time is critical when responding to Worcester County traffic citations. Contact the law office of Paul Abu-Zaid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call 410-524-2001 today for a free, confidential case evaluation.

Client Case Summary:

Client was charged with fleeing and eluding, speeding in excess of 90 mph and several other traffic offenses and equipment violations. Attorney negotiated a disposition of probation before judgment which resulted in no points assessed against client’s license.

Traffic Case Study