It’s cheaper for me just to pay the ticket and plead guilty than to hire a lawyer.

False. As pointed out above, the collateral costs of a speeding ticket can be extremely high. For example, let’s say you were given a ticket for doing 66 miles an hour in a 40 mph zone and some other miscellaneous charge. Paying that ticket will get 8 points assessed to your Tennessee driver’s license. In Tennessee, if you get 12 or more points within one year, your license may be suspended. With that many points, most insurance companies will raise your monthly premiums between 30-50% for three years. Add that cost to the fine and court costs and you are facing a total cost of thousands of dollars. And, with 8 points on your license, you are only 4 away from a possible suspension. There is no way to calculate the cost of the effect of the hassle of losing your driving privilege.