When you get a Reckless Driving or Speeding ticket, an attorney can help you understand the risks you face at court and, in most cases, we are able to negotiate a plea agreement that significantly reduces the consequences for you. It is often possible for an skilled attorney to persuade the prosecutor to reduce a criminal charge of Reckless Driving to a non-criminal traffic infraction. Likewise, your attorney may be able to reduce or eliminate the points associated with a Reckless Driving or Speeding ticket. In the most serious Reckless Driving cases, an attorney may be able to avoid or reduce the jail sentence or license suspension that the judge can impose if no lawyer is involved.
At Blanch & Hart, we will be happy to talk to you about your Reckless Driving or Speeding case for free, whether by phone or in person in our offices. If fighting the ticket is likely to be unproductive or more costly than prepaying it, we will tell you so, and we won’t charge you a penny for the advice. On the other hand, if you need a lawyer in court, we will let you know that, too, and then you can decide whether we are the right lawyers for you.
What You Should Know About Virginia Reckless Driving and Speeding Tickets
The Commonwealth of Virginia has some of the most aggressive Reckless Driving laws in the country. Any speeding offense that is either 20 miles per hour over the limit or above 80 miles per hour (regardless of the speed limit) can be charged as Reckless Driving, no matter how carefully you were driving. Reckless Driving is a Class 1 Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $2500, suspension of your driver’s license, and in the most serious cases, a jail sentence of up to 12 months. In addition, many clients report to us that their auto insurers raise their rates if they are convicted of a Reckless Driving Offense. In addition to these concerns, if you are convicted of Reckless Driving, the Department of Motor Vehicles will assess 6 points against your driver record, and the offense will remain on your record for 11 years.
In short, if you are charged with a Reckless Driving offense, you face fines, points on your license, suspension of your driving privileges, and even jail. Many people accused of Reckless Driving are surprised to learn that their offense is not pre-payable, and that they have to go to court to defend themselves. All too often, people charged with Reckless Driving go to traffic court in Virginia General District Courts without having talked to an attorney first. In some Northern Virginia courts, prosecutors will not speak with people charged with crimes before court begins, meaning that defendants without lawyers have no opportunity to work out plea agreements. All too often, defendants who choose to represent themselves on Reckless Driving offenses are convicted of more serious offenses than they should be, resulting in costly appeals, blemishes on their traffic records, and license suspensions. If you are charged with a Reckless Driving offense, you should always speak to a lawyer before going to court.