If you got a reckless driving ticket in the City of Chesapeake, you may be scared and thinking you need to hire a lawyer right now or risk jail time. Don’t call an attorney just yet, though—you may not even need one at all!
Instead, you should gain an understanding of the legal procedures following a reckless driving ticket, such what constitutes reckless driving and what defenses you can use. That’s where my book, which discusses reckless driving in Virginia, comes in. You can get a free copy below to help you understand what steps you need to take.
What is City of Chesapeake reckless driving?
Chapter 1 of my book discusses the traffic violations that will get you a reckless driving ticket. People most often get tickets for speed, but you can also get them for offenses such as failure to stop for a stopped school bus or passing in a no pass zone.
Chapter 1 will also tell you reckless driving is considered a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia. Both possession of marijuana and driving under the influence are considered class 1 misdemeanors. For you, this means that the Commonwealth will treat your offense as a crime.
What defenses can I use in the City of Chesapeake?
In order to convict you of a crime, the Commonwealth must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty. This means that you have the opportunity to defend yourself. Chapter 3 will help you do that. It has different defenses that you can use in the courtroom. For example, the Commonwealth must be able to prove that you were actually driving the vehicle at the time of the infraction or that you were on a road that is subject to reckless driving laws.
You do need to be careful, though. As chapter 4 will tell you, there are many defenses that won’t help your case at all. You should stay away from defenses like “I needed to use the bathroom” because they just won’t hold up in court.
What outcomes might be available for a City of Chesapeake reckless driving ticket?
Maybe these defenses won’t help you. That’s okay because you still have plenty of options. For example, chapter 5 will tell you various ways you can get your charges reduced. Many judges will use community service or driver improvement clinics.
If you still don’t like the outcome of your case, though, you can appeal it. Chapter 7 discusses the appeals process and how to go about appealing a case. After appealing, you can get a new trial with a different judge.
Do I need to hire a City of Chesapeake reckless driving lawyer?
Hiring a lawyer can be a tricky business because you want to make sure that you actually need a lawyer and that you hire a good one. Though only you can decide if you want a lawyer, chapter 8 will help you find the best lawyer for your case. It provides a list of questions that you should ask an attorney before hiring to gauge how much attention he or she will devote to your case as well as prior experience with reckless driving and traffic law.
All this information can be yours if you fill out the form below. A free copy of the book will be emailed to you with in seconds of completion.