Virginia Beach Speeding Ticket Attorney
Speeding offenses can be very serious in Virginia Beach. Some of these speeding offenses are actually misdemeanors or felonies and can result in harsh penalties such high fines and jail time. A Virginia Beach speeding ticket lawyer can help clients navigate the complex legal system, and can get the best possible results for the case. Call a speeding ticket lawyer in Virginia today.
Speeding Offenses in Virginia Beach
There a great many speeding offenses that drivers in Virginia Beach and throughout the Commonwealth can be charged with. The most common charge is general speeding, which is going any number of miles over the speed limit. However, once you hit 20 miles per hour over or more, the charges escalate to reckless driving, which is a serious speeding offense in Virginia and constitutes a criminal violation. It’s important that there are other ways to receive a reckless driving charge besides speeding, which is why you should speak to a traffic attorney right away if you are facing these sorts of charges.
Do I Need to Show Up to Court?
For a speeding ticket, which is a traffic infraction, you are not required to show up to court. It’s different from reckless driving because reckless driving is a class one misdemeanor, which is a criminal charge. Criminal charges require the attendance of the court hearing. However, by simply paying a speeding ticket, most people aren’t aware that they are essentially pleading guilty to the offense, which can have unexpected repercussions, such as DMV points and higher insurance premiums for years to come.
What Evidence Can I Fight in Court?
In Virginia Beach, law enforcement officers typically use three or four different methods of measuring driver speed, with the most common being radar equipment. Other methods include LIDAR equipment, which is similar to radar except that it’s newer and uses a laser and tends to be a little bit more accurate, and pacing, which is when the officer matches the speed of the vehicle and then looks at his own speedometer to determine how fast the vehicle is going.
Each of these various speed tracking methods has the potential for human error to negatively impact accuracy. However, it takes a traffic attorney with experience and technical knowledge to be able to challenge that evidence in court, since law enforcement officers who operate these devices tend to be well-trained and the equipment well-maintained and calibrated. A Virginia Beach speeding ticket lawyer is familiar with these different kinds of evidence and the defenses used to refute the speeding allegations.
What to Expect from a Virginia Beach Speeding Ticket
You can expect a speeding ticket to result in points on your driver’s record and an increase in your insurance if it results ultimately in a conviction. In addition, you should look carefully at your speeding ticket to make sure that what you’re charged with is actually speeding and not something more serious, such as a reckless driving.
You should then seek out a local Virginia Beach speeding ticket lawyer who can work with you to explain your charges, gather evidence, and generate a strong defense on your behalf. You should look for someone you’re comfortable with, and who clearly demonstrates an understanding of the local court system and administrative procedures.
Call an Experienced Virginia Beach Speeding Ticket Attorney
When you’re facing serious speeding charges, it’s important to think about your future. By working with a Virginia Beach speeding ticket lawyer, you can provide yourself with the guidance and legal protection necessary to have your charges reduced or dismissed. There are no guaranteed legal outcomes in any speeding ticket case, but working with a legal advocate who understands the charges and the jurisdiction where they occurred can be an important step in the right direction. Call us today to learn how we might be able to help you.