Newport News Reckless Driving By Speed Charges
In Newport News, there are a number of different ways that someone can face charges of reckless driving. The most common however, is reckless driving by speed which refers to somebody going either 80 miles per hour or more anywhere in Newport News or 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit. If you are charged with this, or another form of reckless driving, you are facing a criminal misdemeanor and should seek the counsel of a Newport News reckless driving lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case.
Below is more information on reckless driving by speed charges.
Importance of Hiring An Attorney
If facing reckless driving by speed charges in Virginia it is imperative that you consult with a lawyer as you are facing a very serious offense. Unlike other simple traffic infractions, reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor with penalties that include possible jail time for up to 12 months, a fine of up to $2,500, and up to 6 months of license suspension.
Additionally, because this is a criminal charge, it will be added to your criminal record and could affect your future opportunities. For information on how a Newport News reckless driving by speed lawyer can help your case, call and schedule a consultation today.
Building a Defense For Reckless Driving By Speed
With each different type of reckless driving charge in court, there’s going to be different types of defenses available because the behavior that the defendant is charged with is going to be different.
In speeding cases, the defenses generally relate to the speed that the vehicle was going. There will be a focus on proving that reasonable doubt existed that the driver was driving at the speed alleged. The type of evidence that will be presented generally tends to be mitigating evidence rather than evidence about what actually happened in the incident.
So, for these kind of cases, there’s going to be a lot of evidence of things that the driver was doing outside of the incident such as community service, a driver improvement class or a speedometer calibration.
Legal Excuses For Excessive Speed
In general, there aren’t any legal excuses for driving at an excessive speed. The most persuasive in court is going to be an emergency situation, however that’s very rare and it’s going to need to be proven, of course. There are a few mitigating excuses such as an incorrect speedometer reading or if someone has a clean record, then the judge is going to be a little more lenient than they would be for someone with an extensive record of speeding or reckless driving.
How Reckless Driving By Speed Can Affect a Commercial Driver’s License
Reckless driving by speed can be very detrimental to commercial driver’s license holder. They’re considered to be very serious offenses and if you have a certain amount within a short period of time, this can lead to disqualification of a commercial driver’s license. This means that someone holding the commercial driver’s license will not be allowed to drive a commercial vehicle for a certain amount of time depending on how many convictions they get.
Obviously, this is a huge thing to keep in mind for anyone who has a commercial driver’s license. It’s possible for this to happen regardless of whether the vehicle they were driving was their commercial vehicle or their own personal vehicle.
What An Attorney Can Do To Help Your Case
Your attorney can help you prepare for court so that when you get there for your hearing, you’re in the best possible position to get the charge reduced to a lesser charge, such as speeding or improper driving, which are just traffic infractions. In the best case scenario, your attorney can get the charge dismissed altogether so you don’t have to worry about anything. Your attorney will talk you through of all the steps necessary and analyze all of the facts to figure out the best possible defenses.
