This startup will challenge your traffic ticket in court

Drivers who get a ticket may not necessarily think they’re in the wrong. But it takes time to show up and contest in court, so they often just pay the fine and move on.
After analyzing court data, the founders of TIKD saw that the prize of showing up is often a reduced fine.
So the startup, which recently expanded into the Baltimore area, is looking to handle the responsibility of contesting traffic tickets for drivers. The app allows users to enter info about their ticket, take a photo and pay a fee that’s less than the ticket fine. The company then takes over the rest of the process of handling the citation,, said Director of Marketing Louise Finlay. It’s not a law firm, but hires lawyers that assist in contesting the tickets. The person who got the ticket gets email updates on how the effort to get a fine reduced is progressing.
After users pay upfront, TIKD handles all associated costs. One feature also allows people who were cited to pay in installments. With TIKD assuming the responsibility, the company’s business model is based on cost assumptions using data, and the ability to process lots of tickets, Finlay said.
It’s not for every case. The startup makes a distinction between blocking a parking space, and more egregious fines like speeding way over the limit or DUI.

The startup is based in Miami, Fla., and is in the midst of an expansion to more cities. Along with Baltimore, the services are also available in Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County. The Baltimore-D.C. area made sense for expansion because it has millions of traffic tickets issued every year, Finlay said.