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Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense
Daniel Leavitt • December 19, 2018
What Will Happen With a Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense? At Leavitt & Martin, we specialize in reckless driving cases and other Virginia traffic offenses. We have successfully defended thousands of reckless driving Virginia first offense tickets. So what will happen with your first offense for reckless driving in Virginia? The answer depends on a[...] The post Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense appeared first on Leavitt & Martin.
What Will Happen With a Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense?
At Leavitt & Martin , we specialize in reckless driving cases and other Virginia traffic offenses. We have successfully defended thousands of reckless driving Virginia first offense tickets. So what will happen with your first offense for reckless driving in Virginia? The answer depends on a number of factors.
Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense Facts
The Facts Matter Relating to Your Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense
Here are some pertinent reckless driving Virginia facts that frequently determine what may happen:
- Where did you get ticketed for first offense reckless driving in Virginia
?
- Virginia is a big state, and where you got the ticket matters because that determines WHO THE JUDGE WILL BE
- How fast did they say you were going for reckless driving Virginia first offense?
- 81 mph in a 70 is treated by most judges much, much different than even 85 mph in a 70, which is much different than 90 mph in a 70
- as a general rule, the lower you were going the better
- Does first offense mean your first ticket ever?
- Many potential clients tell me it is a first offense, and then they say “in Virginia” or “for reckless driving”
- Virginia reckless driving judges care about your entire driving record
- that means, how many times have you been pulled over anywhere in the United States and given a ticket for anything
- don’t play “hide the ball” from your lawyer as they need all of the information to accurately assess your Virginia reckless driving case
- What other mitigating facts are there about your reckless driving Virginia first offense case?
- Depending on the court, it may be relevant:
- why you were driving that fast
- whether or not you are a student, in the military, have a security clearance, have a work related issue reckless driving could impact
- Depending on the court, it may be relevant:
- Were you even driving the speed the officer said you were driving to get a Reckless Driving Virginia first offense ticket?
- You may have a legal defense
- I just successfully defended someone charged with driving 99 mph
- You may have a legal defense
Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense Consequences
Virginia reckless driving first offense penalties
Unlike DUI, or some other charges, reckless driving Virginia first offense is not a crime in and of itself. In other words, you face the same exact punishment, in theory, for reckless driving Virginia first offense as you do with reckless driving Virginia second offense.
Some charges, like DUI second offense, carry mandatory jail time because it is a second offense. Reckless driving Virginia first offense does not carry different penalties than a second offense. Here are the potential consequences:
- jail time 0-12 months
- permanent criminal record that never goes away and can never be expunged
- fine up to $2500
- license suspension up to 6 months
- employment consequences
- insurance consequences
- could have your rates double, triple, or even get dropped from coverage due to reckless driving VA first offense
- school consequences
Out of State Drivers Often Face Additional Penalties
Many states have automatic license suspensions for convictions of reckless driving. Those states do not recognize a difference between reckless driving general (what you normally think of when you think of reckless driving) and reckless driving by speed for driving 81 mph in a 70. It seems harsh, but the way that DMV’s communicate with each other in different states there is only ONE code for all reckless driving.
States do not differentiate between reckless driving general and reckless driving by speed. So the reckless driving gets reported to your home state as reckless driving. Your home state will not know, or care, that you were only speeding 81 mph in a 70. And many states have AUTOMATIC license suspensions that get triggered. By the time you find out about this, it will likely be TOO LATE to do anything about it for out of state drivers charged with reckless driving in Virginia.
Can a Lawyer Get a Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense Dismissed?
It is possible, but it depends on the facts of the case and where you got the ticket. Every court is different, and even the same judges will respond to legal defenses and quality representation differently depending on how the case is presented.
Real Life Example:
Potential client charged with Dinwiddie reckless driving Virginia first offense calls me, charged with driving 101 mph. I knew jail was possible, but I had a plan to try to get the best result possible. I quoted a fee that was not low, due to the work involved with a high speed case. The person hired a DIFFERENT lawyer. That lawyer did a bad job. Their client WENT TO JAIL, and got convicted of reckless driving Virginia first offense.
They called me back, after spending a day in jail. I quoted them the same fee to appeal their case. I made some recommendations on how to move forward and they listened to my advice. Based on this approach, the prosecutor agreed to REDUCE THE CHARGE to a simple traffic infraction. This helped my client AVOID the misdemeanor for reckless driving Virginia first offense.
Quality Representation for Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense Often Makes a Difference
Leavitt & Martin has successfully handled over 5000 reckless driving Virginia cases. We specialize in traffic matters such as reckless driving, DUI, speeding, and other Virginia traffic tickets. Call today for a free consultation. Either Daniel Leavitt or Corey Martin will consult with you fully to determine the best path forward with your reckless driving Virginia first offense case.
The post Reckless Driving Virginia First Offense appeared first on Leavitt & Martin.
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