How Serious Is Your Norfolk Speeding Ticket?
Speeding offenses can be very serious in Norfolk, especially when you get to higher speeds. A speeding ticket lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia can help you manage the risks involved with the conviction and help you understand what there is to expect and what you can do to prepare.
Some people don’t realize in Virginia that while you can be pulled over for what seems like just speeding, you could be charged instead with reckless driving in the same identical situation. The only difference would be that you’re going either 80 miles/hour or more or you’re going 20 miles/hour over the speed limit.
A lot of people believe that they have received a speeding ticket when in fact they received a reckless driving summons and are surprised to find that they’re charged with a criminal offense because they were just given the piece of paper and allowed to go home, rather than being arrested the way that many people expect criminal charges to be like.
Different Types of Speeding Offenses in Norfolk
In Norfolk, there are various types of speeding offenses such as driving too fast for the weather conditions, failure to obey a traffic or highway sign, and driving up to 19 miles/hour over the speed limit.
After 19 miles per hour, excessive speeding is charged as reckless driving, which is a more serious type of offense. It is a class 1 misdemeanor criminal charge. Reckless driving is punishable by up to 12 months in jail, a $2500 fine, and a license suspension up to 6 months.
What is a Reckless Driving Speeding Offense in Norfolk?
Reckless driving is a type of speeding ticket but is not treated the same as the traffic infraction in general. It’s treated as a criminal offense because it’s a class 1 misdemeanor. Reckless driving is a much more serious charge than general speeding, and the best thing to do is to hire an attorney to help you build a strong defense in your case.
Reckless driving is a criminal charge so, unlike a speeding ticket, there’s no option of prepaying. You absolutely have to show up to court to answer to the ticket and a conviction would result in a criminal conviction instead of just some points on your traffic record.
Contact a Local Norfolk For Help
It’s important to seek an experienced Norfolk speeding ticket lawyer because you want someone who has hands-on experience to help you navigate the confusing court system. It’s important to know what your rights are and what the possibilities are of your case, which an experienced lawyer can explain in a manner that makes it easy to understand.