Speeding Offenses v. Reckless Driving Charges in Fauquier County

Virginia law enforcement officials take speeding offenses very seriously. They view them as a major threat to the safety of commuters as well as pedestrians. As a result, they work very hard to discourage people from speeding or driving recklessly by imposing severe and harsh penalties. Speak with a Fauquier reckless driving attorney to learn about how you can mitigate the consequences of a speeding ticket. He or she will be able to provide you insight into how

Types of Speeding Offenses in Fauquier

The different types of speeding offenses in Fauquier include traffic infractions, misdemeanors and felonies. The difference between these is that speeding tickets, which are traffic infractions, affect only somebody’s driving record, whereas misdemeanors and felonies are criminal charges, which go not only on the driving record. but also on your criminal record. Having a permanent criminal record can have a negative effect on future opportunities as well as current opportunities. With each type, as much as the speed increases, the penalties increase as well. Call and consult with an experienced Fauquier County speeding ticket lawyer to discuss how to approach your specific case.

Court Appearances

It is not a requirement to show up in the court for a speeding ticket in Fauquier County, but it is certainly advised. If you do not show up in court and you simply prepay the ticket then this is the same thing as admitting that you are guilty of speeding, which means you will receive points on your driving record. If you show up in court, it provides an opportunity to tell your side of the story and sometimes you can get your speeding ticket reduced to a lesser charge or you can get it dismissed altogether with the help of a speeding ticket attorney in Fauquier County.

Reckless Driving v. Speeding Tickets in Fauquier County

In Fauquier County, reckless driving is a whole array of moving violations which also includes reckless driving by speed. General speeding is a traffic infraction, while reckless driving by speed is a Class 1 criminal misdemeanor. It is possible to charge someone with excessive speed that is labeled as reckless driving and this qualifies as a misdemeanor.

Prepaying Reckless Driving Tickets

It is not possible to prepay a reckless driving ticket in Fauquier County. Reckless driving, even if it is by speed, is considered a criminal misdemeanor in Fauquier County, which means you have to go to court and you have to be present. It is not possible to admit guilt beforehand or to prepay.

How a Fauquier Speeding Ticket Lawyer Can Help

An experienced Virginia speeding ticket lawyer can help a client by helping them to understand what the different steps are and what exactly the charges mean, not only on paper, but in the long term. There is a big difference in possible consequences from a traffic infraction versus a  criminal charge and an experienced Virginia speeding ticket lawyer will clearly be able to explain it to somebody so they know exactly what they are getting into and how best to proceed.