Virginia Reckless Driving Penalties
Reckless driving crosses the mark from traffic infractions to a criminal charge, so it is a Class One misdemeanor. Class One misdemeanors come with a maximum fine of $2,500 and the possibility of jail time for up to 12 months, so it is serious. If a person gets charged and convicted, it is a serious charge. If you are experiencing penalties for reckless driving, call a local and professional lawyer today.
Maximum Penalty for Reckless Driving
The top penalty for reckless driving in Virginia if the person gets convicted and imposed the maximum punishment by law is the Class One misdemeanor. That is a $2,500 fine and jail for up to 12 months. The Virginia statute has categories of misdemeanors and felonies. The Virginia code categorizes everything and claims that it is reckless driving, a Class One misdemeanor. The person can look up the statute and see what is considered a Class One misdemeanor and what the maximum punishment is. It is a maximum of 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine, which would be the max that anybody will be facing in Virginia.
Seriousness of Reckless Driving in Virginia
Because it is a criminal offense, is important to know what is reckless driving in Virginia and how it is considered more severe than other traffic infractions. A lot of times traffic infractions can be paid ahead of time. A person can or cannot appear and they have minor impacts on the person’s driving record, maybe three, four, or even six points. With reckless driving in VA, the process is similar to a traffic infraction, but a person gets a court date and appears in court.
Most of the impact will take place after the court date happened. That is why it is important for people who get those tickets to seek help, to call somebody to get advice and to have somebody by their side in court. What could be expected is a hearing – a trial could take place in which the officer testifies, the person testifies, and the judge decides the case during a Virginia reckless driving penalty.
After that, there would be a fine to pay and court costs. There would be demerit points that could be assessed on the DMV side. Insurance could enact higher premiums. Finally, if a person is convicted of reckless driving, it will go on their criminal record as well. There will be a notation made of that on their criminal record.
Appearing in Court for Charge
For reckless driving cases, the person has to appear in court. If the person has a lawyer, the lawyer can represent the offender and the person does not have to appear. If the person does not have a lawyer, then everybody should report to their court dates. Otherwise, there could be a failure to appear charge.
Learn about Reckless Driving in Virginia Today
The courts take reckless driving more seriously than people think. For some criminal charges, some people see the explanation behind it. A lot of times, judges and prosecutors are very aggressive when they see somebody driving in a very bad fashion.
Sometimes they can find the explanation for it, but a lot of times they cannot find an explanation for something and the judge may give a person a very long lecture about the law and the procedure for them not to drive that way. A person should take Virginia reckless driving penalties seriously. Talk to a professional lawyer to prepare.