Suffolk Reckless Driving Lawyer
Reckless driving in Virginia is a serious charge, and many drivers accused of reckless driving are surprised to find themselves facing such accusations. This charge can be particularly stressful if there is the possibility that it will have an effect on a driver’s military career or security clearance. The fact is, reckless driving laws in Virginia are so broad that almost any alleged conduct could potentially be categorized as reckless through a law enforcement officer’s subjective discretion. Therefore, if you are facing reckless driving charges you believe are unfair, a Suffolk reckless driving lawyer can help. To begin building a defense for your case, call a Suffolk criminal lawyer today.
Reckless Driving Charges in Virginia
Suffolk reckless driving lawyers may represent a number of different driving behaviors, including:
- Passing improperly
- Driving a vehicle in disrepair or with faulty brakes
- Failing to signal or turn properly
- Driving too fast for the weather or road conditions
- Not yielding to emergency vehicles or failing to stop for a school bus
- Driving dangerously near a school, church, parking lot
- Government building or business
- Racing
- Or driving with too many passengers or with an obstructed view
The most common reckless driving charge typically involves accusations of speeding. Under Virginia Code § 46.2-862, both speeding more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit and speeding more than 80 miles per hour are classified as reckless driving.
In practice, this means that driving at such low speed as 45 miles per hour could potentially land a driver with a reckless driving charge, if the speed limit in that zone was 25 miles per hour. In areas where the speed limit reduces quickly or without warning, this can seem especially unfair.
No matter what type of reckless driving charge you are facing, your Suffolk reckless driving attorney can examine the circumstances that led to the charges against you and determine whether your conduct actually constituted reckless driving under the law.
Our firm’s reckless driving attorneys in Suffolk understand that often, a driver must choose the safest actions under the circumstances, but that many times there is no ideal course. Drivers are often at the mercy of other drivers, road and weather conditions, larger commercial vehicles, and other factors outside their control.
Virginia Reckless Driving Penalties
Reckless driving is typically a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and $2500 in fines, though certain circumstances call for heightened penalties. If the alleged reckless driving caused another person’s death and the driver did not have a valid driver’s license at the time, the offense becomes a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in prison, though the court has the discretion to reduce the penalty.
Using a handheld device during the commission of reckless driving carries a mandatory minimum fine of $250. In addition, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles assigns six license demerit points for reckless driving convictions. Your Suffolk reckless driving attorney can pursue reduced or dismissed charges, however, and can recommend that you perform a variety of actions before your court date to make one of these outcomes more likely.
Consult an Experienced Suffolk, VA Reckless Driving Lawyer
If you have been charged with reckless driving, your VA reckless driving lawyer can present evidence to the court of all of the factors that played a role in the driving conditions the day of the incident, and fight to establish that you made the best driving choices you could under the circumstances.
Working with an experienced Suffolk reckless driving attorney can put your mind at ease throughout the complex legal process of fighting unfair or wrongful charges.
