Hampton Reckless Driving: Radar Tools

In Hampton, traffic radar tools are routinely used to prove speeding. The most common is generally the stationary radar that officers use when their police cruises are not moving. Due to the nature of reckless driving cases and how harshly they are prosecuted in the state of Virginia, police officer testimony and evidence from radar tools are given a lot of deference in court. Local prosecutors will highlight the results of radar and LIDAR guns to prove their case. When you hire an experienced Hampton reckless driving lawyer, they will help you fight the prosecution’s rigorous arguments and reliance on radar results.

Police Officer Testimony

If you weren’t going as fast as the officer is alleging that you were going, then you’re going to be required to prove that in court. It’s not really just your word against the officers. It’s your word against the officer and his radar results and the calibration certificate that’s backing up the radar gun reading. Plus, a police officer’s testimony is naturally given more weight in court because they are meant to be unbiased and speak the truth.

For a person facing a Hampton reckless driving charge, it’s difficult to make a claim that you think that officer is lying because a police officer has no reason to lie while the courts see more reason for you to lie.

How They Tell You Were Speeding

Hampton law enforcement officers use a few different methods to determine that a driver is speeding. Hampton officers use radar gun, LIDAR guns and pacing to track driver’s speed. Although courts place a great deal of trust in police officer testimony and the results from their radar readings, there are still certain requirements that must be met in order to prov

As long as they can show in court that equipment they have used to track somebody’s speed is functioning properly and that the officers were following the protocol as required, then they can tell if you were speeding and they can prove it.

Law enforcement officers can prove that they were recording the speed of your vehicle by showing evidence in court to support that they were doing so. The best evidence in support of this is in a form of a calibration certificate. A calibration certificate demonstrate that whatever method the officer was using to record an officer’s speed was functioning as it was supposed to and was properly maintained as it was required to be. The document has very specific requirements that need to be met in order for the court to deem it admissible.

Weight of Radar Reading Tools in Hampton

Radar readings are generally accepted by the court as reliable evidence as long as the officer can provide a calibration certificate to back up the reading. The calibration certificate shows that the correct protocol was followed by officer and therefore, the radar reading should be considered accurate. Without a valid calibration certificate, then most of the time, the case is completely thrown out because this is the strongest evidence of the alleged speed. And without it, most officers don’t have any other evidence.

Although reckless driving charges can be difficult to challenge, a passionate reckless driving attorney in Hampton can help you build a solid defense against radar readings. The long-term impact of a Class 1 misdemeanor conviction is serious, which is why an attorney’s guidance and perspective are invaluable assets.