Portsmouth Traffic Enforcement and Practices

The following is information on traffic charges in Portsmouth and how these laws are enforced. To learn more, schedule a consultation with an traffic attorney in Portsmouth today.

Portsmouth is located right across the river, south west from Norfolk through a tunnel and south of Newport News, also through a tunnel. Portsmouth is on its own little peninsula. It’s about 15 to 20 minutes from Norfolk or Newport News and it’s actually visible from across the water in Norfolk. It’s about two hours from Richmond, which is the next major city.

Portsmouth is very tiny. It only has Interstate 264 running through it, which then connects to 664 and 64 just outside of Portsmouth.

Traffic Law Enforcement

Traffic offenses are heavily enforced in Portsmouth. Some of these traffic violations are also criminal offense which includes driving on a suspended license, reckless driving and DUIs.

These are all class one misdemeanors, which means that if someone is convicted of one, the driver will be facing up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. These criminal convictions will last forever and will not be able to be expunged from someone’s record, which is different from a regular everyday traffic offense that will only appear on a driving record.

Reckless Driving, for instance, can be charged by speeding too fast, by going 80 miles per hour or more. It can also be charged by going 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, or by drag racing, passing an emergency with its light on, passing a stopped school bus that’s loading and unloading passengers, merging into a highway without yielding, driving too fast for the weather conditions, and driving a vehicle with faulty brakes.

Defense Strategies in Portsmouth Reckless Driving Cases

For the most common types of reckless cases which are when someone is charged with the speed they were driving at, the officer must testify regarding how he determined the defendant’s speed.

He must also show that the method he used was functioning properly and that the equipment he used was adequately maintained and calibrated within a particular time frame before the defendant was charged.

A common defense therefore is to attack the various steps the officer must demonstrate in an attempt to prove that the officer made a mistake somewhere and therefore the case should be dismissed because the result could not be trusted.

If the officer did do everything correct, another defense is to demonstrate that the defendant’s vehicle’s speedometer was not functioning properly.

And therefore the speed was a mistake that could have happened to even the most careful driver and not something the defendant should be punished for, so the case should be dismissed.

Top Three Things We Offer in Portsmouth Cases

First, I offer clients knowledge of the local court system and the different players in the system.

Second, I offer clients a true fight and make sure their rights are protected and I will do everything possible to obtain a favorable outcome.

Third, I offer clients peace of mind knowing that they will be well taken care of.

Our Local Experience Can Help

Clients choose me because I have local experience and tend to obtain good results in reckless driving matters. The judges I have appeared in front of have complimented me and told my clients that I did a great job for them even though  they were going over 100 miles per hour.

I’m also very accessible. Clients can send me a quick text and know that they will receive a response in a timely manner. So they are not sitting around wondering what’s going on with their case at any given time.

They can just ask and immediately know. I also make my clients work hard and give them homework but the ends do justify the means because ultimately my clients walk out the court happy about how their cases went.