Process of a Norfolk Reckless Driving Case
Due to the fact that reckless driving is a criminal misdemeanor and not simply a traffic infraction, it is important that you take your case as seriously as possible and know what to expect before entering the courtroom. Below, a Norfolk reckless driving lawyer discusses the process of a reckless driving case, including what you can expect in court and why hiring a local attorney is so important. To learn more, call and schedule a consultation today.
What Should Someone Expect From the Process of a Norfolk Reckless Driving Case?
Someone should expect the process to be very streamlined. They can expect that they will go to court with a vast group of people that have a variety of different cases. Typically, traffic and general misdemeanors are all tried in the same courtroom and with no particular order, so you could be waiting for a long time.
Once you go up there, you can expect that the police officer who pulled you over will be present, telling the judge what happened and why he issued you the reckless driving charge in the first place. Then you will have the opportunity to cross-examine the police officer to try to shed reasonable doubt on his allegations. Then you can present your own evidence, hopefully in your favor. After this, each person has a moment to argue the sentencing. This means you have the opportunity to convince the judge that you should be sentenced in whatever way you feel is best for your situation. Then the judge will decide the sentence on the spot and the case will be closed.
What Kind of Evidence Can Be Used Against You in a Reckless Driving Case?
The type of evidence that you can put forth is going to depend very much on your specific situation. In reckless driving, typically the only evidence that people have is their own testimony. Sometimes drivers will have any passengers they had in the vehicle come in to testify and verify the driver’s story, but this is uncommon. For purposes of arguing sentencing, a lot of times people will bring in evidence of their good character. This is things like good school transcripts, evidence of volunteer work, or a letter from their boss.
The purpose of this type of evidence is to persuade the judge to see the defendant as a whole person, rather than just a charge on paper, and thus consider all the positives the defendant has to offer in coming up with an appropriate sentence.
How Does Virginia Treat Reckless Driving?
Virginia is notorious for harsh reckless driving laws. A lot of states don’t have reckless driving by excessive speed whatsoever. Out of state drivers are consistently shocked that they are facing a criminal charge for just driving fast on the highway. Judges are very harsh on people charged with reckless driving, and it’s not uncommon for someone to be sentenced to a few days in jail.
Importance of Contacting a Local Norfolk Reckless Driving Lawyer
It is very important to have somebody local to Norfolk in these types of cases because each individual court and jurisdiction, even within Virginia, is going to be slightly different from every other one. Each state has its own set of rules and customs and ways of doing things, and it is important to have somebody who is not only familiar, but also has done it multiple times before in that particular courtroom. Another advantage to local counsel is that ideally a local attorney has had interactions with all the judges before as well as the officers and has built positive relationships. This can hopefully provide a slight edge in your case, which will lead to a better result.