Sound legal advice is built on years of training, hard work, and passion — together with deep familiarity with New Mexico legislation, precedent, and procedure. You'll find all of that, and more, at Kelly O'Connell Law.
Our firm handles a high volume of traffic and CDL cases each month. We specialize in obtaining dismissals for the professional truckers who carry America's cargo from sea to sea and across all 50 states.
For a commercial driver, a single conviction on the wrong charge can mean a disqualification — and disqualification means lost work, lost contracts, and, in many cases, the end of a career. The strategy on a CDL case is different from a residential case for exactly that reason.
We can help you keep the most precious possession a professional driver owns: your license to drive your big rig.
In the state of New Mexico, you can lose your driving privileges through the steady accumulation of points on your record — not just from a single dramatic incident.
That makes every ticket worth a second look, especially if you already have past driving violations on your history. What looks like a routine fine on paper can be the citation that pushes a record into mandatory suspension.
Have your case reviewed before you pay the fine. Paying it is, in legal terms, a guilty plea — and the points come with it.
Behind every citation are real, measurable consequences — for your license, your wallet, and your ability to keep working. The numbers add up faster than most drivers expect.
New Mexico tracks moving violations on a points system; enough points trigger automatic suspension.
A single conviction can raise premiums for years, often costing more than the fine itself.
Many violations that are fines for residential drivers are disqualifying events for CDL holders.
Reckless driving and license suspensions show up on employment screenings — long after the case is closed.
Most of these begin as a roadside citation. Each of them — handled wrong — can end with a suspended license or a permanent mark on a professional record.
Excessive speed and reckless driving carry the highest point loads on a New Mexico residential record, and they are the most common path to a points-based suspension. On a CDL, they can be career-ending events. These are exactly the cases worth fighting rather than paying.
Driving on a suspended or revoked license is a criminal charge in New Mexico, not just a ticket. A conviction extends the suspension, adds jail exposure, and stacks on top of whatever original case caused the suspension in the first place.
Out-of-service violations, logbook issues, weight and equipment citations, and serious moving violations all carry CDL-specific consequences. Many are disqualifying on a first offense. Defense strategy starts with which charge to fight first, and which to keep off the federal record entirely.
Citations issued at the scene of an accident often outlive the accident itself — through insurance claims, civil exposure, and license consequences. Each citation is its own case, and each one is worth contesting on its own merits before pleading to anything.
Most drivers think paying a ticket is the simplest path. In legal terms, paying the citation is a guilty plea. Points attach automatically. The conviction goes on the record, and the insurance carrier sees it on the next renewal.
A contested case opens room for negotiation: a reduced charge, a non-moving violation, a deferred disposition, or — when the citation doesn't hold up to scrutiny — a dismissal. None of that is available to the driver who simply paid.
The first step is a free conversation. Bring the citation — a photo of it is fine — and the basic facts of the stop. From there, the case file is opened: the citing officer's history, the equipment used (radar, lidar, in-car camera), and the underlying statute the charge is built on.
Most traffic and CDL cases never require the client to take a day off work. Court appearances are made on your behalf wherever the rules allow it. You stay on the road; we handle the courtroom.
When a case can be resolved with a reduced charge, a deferred disposition, or a dismissal, that's the resolution we push for — every time, on every case.
For a CDL holder, the wrong plea on the wrong charge can do more damage than the underlying incident. Disqualification doesn't care how good a driver you are. Talk to a lawyer before the courthouse window closes on your career.
Free, confidential case review. Bring the citation — we'll tell you whether it's worth fighting and what the path looks like.
