Potential Defenses in Richmond Speeding Cases
If you are stopped and cited for speeding in Richmond, Virginia there are a variety of defenses that may be employed to help minimize the harm of your charge. Read on to learn more about the specific defense you can employ or call and schedule a consultation with a Richmond reckless driving lawyer to discuss your case.
Are There Any Issues With Traffic Radar Instruments That Could Be Used As a Defense?
There are. One of the things an attorney will try to do is to review officer’s radar documentation. They have to show that the radar was calibrated within six months of the stop and they have to show that it was tested before and after their shift with a tuning fork. So, if the defense can show that there’s an issue with testing or an issue with the calibration, we can raise that to question the radar’s accuracy.
In addition to that, sometimes there are issues with a radar device and how it was used by the officer. In some cases, we can show there was interference with the device or the officer was not properly trained in using it.
Occasionally there are also issues with the radar picking up interference or locking on to wrong object. These cases are not common and very hard to prove.
In challenging a radar device, an attorney must understand what to look for in reviewing the maintenance records and know what issues to spot in doing so.
Are There Any Potential Defenses For a LIDAR Device?
The LIDAR device is known to have some issues. It is seen by most courts to be very accurate, however there have been some issues showing where direct sunlight or excessive dust in the air could interfere with the laser or make it lock on to multiple targets at once.
Are There Any Potential Defense That Can Arise From Pacing?
Pacing in a Richmond speeding case is when the officer uses his vehicle and his speedometer to determine your speed usually by driving behind you or beside you. Pacing is admissible in court but there are ways that it can be used as a defense. The officer would have to testify as to exactly what the speed was, if their speedometer was accurate, and for how long they paced you. They’ll also have to have documentation showing that their vehicle and the speedometer in their vehicle was working correctly and was calibrated. There’s a greater margin for error in a Pacing case which allows us a little more leeway in defending it, especially because in some cases officers neglect to bring in their own vehicle’s calibration information to court.