Penalties for Reckless Driving in Fairfax
In Fairfax, speeding is a traffic infraction. Traffic infractions are punishable by a fine as well as demerit points on your driving record. The penalties for reckless driving in Fairfax are those that come with a Class 1 misdemeanor. It’s punishable by a fine of up to $2500, jail time of up to 12 months, and a license suspension of up to 6 months. To start building a defense against a such a charge, call and schedule a consultation with a reckless driving lawyer as soon as possible.
What to Expect During a Fairfax Reckless Driving Case
The process of a Fairfax reckless driving case is very similar to the process of a speeding ticket case. It’s easy to see why people confuse them. You are pulled over in the same manner and given a document that looks almost identical and then you go to court in the same way that you would for any other charge. The only difference is the name of the charge and the long-term consequences that come with it. Compared to speeding tickets, a reckless driving charge is much more serious because it is classified as a misdemeanor.
Speeding tickets are simply traffic infractions. In Fairfax, you are able to prepay a speeding ticket. This is equivalent to admitting guilt to the speeding ticket, however. The best thing to do is to fight the speeding ticket in court so that you have an opportunity to tell your side of the story and mitigate the penalties that come with it. Traffic offenses in Fairfax can be extremely serious. A lot of the traffic offenses in Fairfax have very harsh long-term consequences. It’s important for a lawyer to be by your side helping you understand what you’re being charged with and help you build a strong defense.
Reckless driving is a misdemeanor charge, and you cannot just pre-pay a ticket and get points off your license. It is likely that you will be facing serious consequences to your license and your driving record. Speak with a Fairfax reckless driving lawyer to learn more about how such a charge can affect you.
How Prosecutors Treat These Cases
Fairfax comes down very strongly on reckless driving cases. Some judges are notorious for throwing people in jail for reckless driving over 30 miles per hour or more over the speed limit. Some judges in Fairfax will throw somebody in jail for one day for every mile per hour over the speed limit that they were going. Judges in Fairfax tend to rule very harshly on these charges because they view incidents of reckless driving as a dangerous to public safety and want to discourage such behavior as much as possible.
Long-Term Consequences
The consequences of speeding ticket in Fairfax long-term are that the demerit points cause your insurance rates to be increased oftentimes. Also, if you accumulate too many demerit points in a short period of time, your driver’s license can become suspended because of it. For reckless driving in Fairfax, a conviction will damage a person’s record and could potentially result in a reckless driving lawyer. People who have been charged and convicted multiple times will likely have their licenses suspended indefinitely and also face jail time.
Role of a Fairfax Reckless Driving Lawyer
It’s crucial to have a Fairfax attorney in a reckless driving case because a lot of times, reckless driving cases are very winnable, and usually very negotiable. An attorney can help you navigate through your evidence to figure out what’s relevant and can also help you figure out what you should be doing to prepare for the reckless driving case before you get to court. For different cases, this means things such as having your speedometer calibrated, doing community service, getting a copy of your driving record, or anything else that maybe pertinent to your specific facts.
It’s important to contact local counsel in Fairfax for reckless driving cases because reckless driving cases are very serious, and they should not be taken lightly. It’s important to have somebody who is familiar with how the local court and local judges treat reckless driving and who can help you prepare for court in a manner that’s going to be effective for that particular location. Local experience makes the difference because every jurisdiction prioritizes different things. Different judges also have differing opinions on what’s relevant and what is persuasive in terms of reckless driving defenses.
During the trial, not only can your attorney introduce evidence in your defense, but they can also provide a strong cross-examination of the officer to shed reasonable doubt on the officer’s evidence.