Hampton Reckless Driving Lawyer

In Hampton and throughout the rest of Virginia, reckless driving is treated as a serious offense that can include fines and jail time in addition to being added to your criminal record if convicted. Unlike in many other states, reckless driving in Hampton is not a normal traffic violation but an actual criminal offense with long term consequences. For this reason, if you have received a summons for reckless driving and are due to appear in court it is imperative you consult with a Hampton reckless driving lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case.

An experienced attorney can walk you through the traffic stop process, the various legal options at your disposal, and inform you of the penalties you are realistically facing.  In addition, a reckless driving lawyer in Hampton can advocate on your behalf in court and help you minimize the harm of your charge. Call today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your case with an attorney in Hampton.

• Top 3 Things Someone Should Prepare For in a Reckless Driving Case
• Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Hampton Reckless Driving Cases
• Developing a Defense For Reckless Driving Cases
• Hampton Reckless Driving Myths
• Building a Defense For Reckless Driving Cases in Hampton
• Speed Traps in Hampton
• What to Expect
• Reckless Driving and Out of State Drivers
• Severity of Reckless Charges

What Constitutes Reckless Driving in Hampton

Reckless driving can be a variety of moving violations which typically entail operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner. Apart from the most common type of reckless driving—excessive speeding—there are a whole other variety of ways that you can be charged with this. This includes things such as:

• Passing a school bus
• Faulty brakes
• Excessive Speeding
• Not pulling over for emergency vehicles
• Being involved in an accident
• Losing control or faulty brakes
• Racing
• Anything else that could cause harm to “life, limb, or property” of another driver or passenger

If any of these apply to your case it is important you consult with a Hampton reckless driving attorney as soon as possible.

Reckless Driving Penalties

Being charged with reckless driving means you are now facing the possibility of a class one misdemeanor conviction, which is a criminal offense on your permanent criminal record. This means that a conviction is not able to be expunged and will follow the person for the rest of their life. It also affects their driving record as it results in six demerit points off their license.

These are serious consequences that can follow someone for the rest of their life and therefore should not be dealt with without the assistance of  a reckless driving attorney in Hampton.

Reckless Driving Versus Traffic Ticket in Hampton

Learn More:

• Serious Driving Charges
• Reckless Driving Prosecution
• Attorney Approach to Hampton Reckless Driving Cases
• Hampton Reckless Driving Penalties
• Benefit of Driving Classes
• Process of a Reckless Driving Charge

Though police officers use tools like radar, LIDAR, or other methods to determine a person’s speed for both reckless driving and speeding offenses, the two charges are vastly different. For a reckless driving case, the defendant will have to make an appearance in court to answer the charges. A regular speeding ticket will not require a court appearance if the defendant doesn’t want to be there. Usually, speeding tickets include directions on the ticket itself on how they can pay the ticket in advance whether it’s the online or via the mail and they also inform the driver that they are not obligated to go to court.

For reckless driving, a summons is issued which by signing means that you are promising to appear in court or risk being charged with failure to appear.

Another difference, as a Hampton reckless driving lawyer can tell you, is that a speeding ticket fine is pre-payable by calling the clerk’s office in the jurisdiction where you received the ticket and paying over the phone, or by mailing in a check, or going in person to the court and paying. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor offense and is not illegible to be prepaid in Virginia at all.

In fact, reckless driving cases are heard in court in front of a judge and are therefore not able to be paid beforehand because the amount of the fine is not known before the court hearing.  The judge sets the fine depending on the circumstances of the case.

One final and crucial difference between reckless driving and a simple speeding violation is that a reckless driving conviction results in a criminal conviction which will remain on someone’s record as a misdemeanor forever. In contrast, a speeding ticket affects only the driving record and results in six demerit points and remains in the record for up to 11 years. Reckless driving never goes away which is why contacting a reckless driving lawyer in Virginia is so important.

Hiring an Experienced Reckless Driving Lawyer

Due to the serious consequences associated with a reckless driving conviction it is important you take your charge as seriously as possible and consult with a Hampton reckless driving lawyer. Call today to schedule a consultation and discuss your case with experienced legal counsel.