Norfolk Reckless Driving Lawyer

Reckless driving is a very serious offense. It is not the same thing as a traffic infraction for speeding. A reckless driving lawyer in Virginia can help you build a strong defense to this criminal charge. Call today to schedule a consultation with a reckless driving lawyer in Norfolk.

The Role of a Norfolk Reckless Driving Lawyer

Having a good Norfolk reckless driving lawyer can make all the difference in someone’s case. A reckless driving attorney knows how best to present evidence for your defense as well as what evidence will help your case.

The Norfolk reckless driving lawyer can also cross examine the police officer to cast reasonable doubt on the officer’s testimony or can object during an officer’s testimony if there is a legal basis to do so.

The reckless driving attorney in Norfolk can help to keep out certain evidence before the case goes on or can have the case dismissed if the officer’s testimony is missing crucial information such as the information regarding the RADAR calibration for a reckless driving charge due to excessive speed.

What Does Reckless Driving Mean in Norfolk?

Reckless driving includes a variety of violations. These specifically include operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner that endangers life, limb or property or operating a motor vehicle at an excessive speed that does the same. The most common way that reckless driving is charged is due to excessive speeding. If your speeding is not deemed reckless consult with a Norfolk speeding ticket lawyer to discuss your case.

Excessive Speed and Reckless Driving

Excessive speed reckless driving is charged where the driver is going 20 miles/hour over the posted speed limit or is driving over 80 miles/hour.

Other Kinds of Reckless Driving

Reckless driving can be charged by speed which includes driving 20 miles/hour over the posted speed limit or driving over 80 miles/hour or reckless driving can also be charged in response to a variety of other reckless behaviors which include:

  • Passing a stopped school bus or emergency vehicle with its lights on
  • Passing in an intersection
  • Driving too fast for the current conditions
  • Driving with faulty brakes
  • Drag racing

Reckless driving can also be charged as general reckless driving, which is a bit of a catch all category that almost anything can fall into. General reckless is common when someone has been in an accident.

Penalties For Norfolk Reckless Driving

Penalties for reckless driving are:

  • Up to 12 months in jail
  • A fine of up to $2500

Reckless driving is a Class 1 Misdemeanor. A conviction results in 6 demerit points on someone’s DMV records and will remain on their record for 11 years. For the most common type of reckless driving, which is speed related reckless driving, penalties tend to increase as the speed charged increases. Excessive speed penalties often include a suspended license as well as an active jail sentence.

Reckless Driving vs. Speeding Tickets in Norfolk

Reckless driving is different from a speeding ticket because reckless driving is a criminal charge whereas a speeding ticket is a traffic infraction.

The difference is that a criminal charge is a permanent conviction. If someone is convicted, it will always be on their criminal record and will be present in background checks. In contrast, a traffic infraction will remain on somebody’s record for some time, but will disappear eventually and has no effect on somebody’s permanent criminal record, nor is it a jailable offense.

Contact a Local Norfolk Reckless Driving Lawyer

It is important to contact a local Norfolk reckless driving attorney because reckless driving is a serious criminal charge and you definitely want to give yourself a good fighting chance to avoid a conviction or to lesser the penalties. A local reckless driving lawyer in Norfolk will know how the judge responds to certain arguments and how to best prepare and present those arguments for your unique case.

Local experience matters over general experience as each court and each judge in each jurisdiction has its own customs and unwritten rules that are really only learnt by experience in the local courts. You want to be able to get the benefit of this kind of experience for your case.

What To Expect From a Norfolk Reckless Driving Court Date

Someone should expect the process in a Norfolk reckless driving case to be similar to appearing in court for a speeding ticket. You can expect that the officer will be present and will testify as to what happened. You will be allowed to ask the officer any questions you would like related to his testimony.

Then judge will ask for any evidence from the defendant’s side and will ask if the defendant will like to say anything in terms of the sentencing. Sentencing will be decided right there on the spot after both sides have testified. If you are given any jail time, then you can expect to go to jail immediately unless the judge allows weekend time or you appeal the decision of the general district court..

How Does Norfolk Treat Reckless Driving Cases?

Some judges in Norfolk are much harsher on reckless driving cases than other judges. For example there is one judge in Norfolk that will not accept any plea deals on reckless driving cases where the speed was in excess of 30 miles/hour over the speed limit. This judge always gives those defendants some jail time regardless what the officer’s testimony is. Norfolk in general definitely takes reckless driving seriously and treats it accordingly.