What To Expect From a Speeding Ticket in Fairfax
Although a speeding ticket may not seem like anything severe, in Virginia speeding is taken very seriously and can lead to an array of more serious charges such as reckless driving that will stay on your record forever. With these factors in play, it is important that you know what to expect after receiving a speeding ticket and are aware of exactly which speeding offense you’re facing. For more specific information regarding your case, call and schedule a consultation with a Fairfax speeding ticket lawyer today.
Severity of a Speeding Ticket in VA
Due to the fact that Fairfax County is so harsh on speeders, you should expect that a speeding ticket could potentially be something much more serious than a simple traffic infraction. If you were going 20 or more miles per hour over the speed limit, it’s possible that what would be just a traffic infraction for speeding in any other state would actually be charged as a criminal offense here in Virginia. As a result, you should make sure that what you’re being charged with is speeding and not reckless driving or any other type of more serious offense.
This can be done by looking on your ticket. On the ticket, it will say either speeding or reckless driving, or sometimes it will specify that it’s an infraction versus a misdemeanor. If it doesn’t specify or it just lists the speed, then you can look right below that on the ticket and it should state whether you are required to appear in court or not. If you’re not required to appear in court, chances are that you’ve been issued a traffic infraction.
Fairfax Speeding Ticket Treatment
Fairfax and all Virginia jurisdictions treat speeding a little bit different from other jurisdictions because Virginia takes a much harder stand on speeding than most other states. While other jurisdictions only have speeding as a traffic infraction, Virginia actually codifies it as a reckless driving offense, which is a class 1 misdemeanor and a criminal offense if you pass the speed limit by 20 miles per hour or more or if you drive 80 miles per hour or more at all. This is a big deal because what would just basically be a slap on the wrist in any other state and would go away in a few years, in Virginia, results instead in a permanent criminal record.
Showing Up To Court
You do not have to appear in court. This is different from reckless driving because criminal charges have a requirement that the defendant must appear in court on the date of the hearing. For a speeding ticket, you have the alternate option to prepay the fine online and admit guilt to the offense in this way. For either one, the best option is to get an attorney to help you build a strong defense. Even if it’s impossible for the charge to be reduced or dismissed, there is still the possibility of having the actual penalties reduced or at least mitigated into something that’s a little more manageable for your personal situation.
Advantages of a Fairfax Speeding Ticket Lawyer
Having a Fairfax speeding ticket lawyer with experience is definitely going to be advantageous to you because there are a quite a few little loopholes and defenses that most people may not know about unless they have experience with this kind of stuff in court. You want someone who can explain to you exactly what you’re up against in court and what the possibilities are for having your charges reduced or dismissed. If your charges are not able to be reduced or dismissed, then a good attorney will be able to help you mitigate the damages so that there is less impact on your personal life because of the conviction.