Receiving a ticket for reckless driving in Mecklenburg County can be a scary situation. If you don’t know what to expect next, advertisements from lawyers may even intimidate you into thinking you have to hire them or you’re going to jail.
Don’t call an attorney just yet. You may not need one. Instead, you should learn about the court procedures following a reckless driving ticket. You can do that with my book.
What is Mecklenburg County reckless driving?
Reckless driving tickets are usually issued for speed, but you can get them for other violations, which include acts such as passing a stopped school bus. You can also get a ticket under Virginia’s catch-all statute that allows officers to charge you with reckless driving if the officer thought your driving endangered others, even if you haven’t violated a specific definition. Chapter 1 further explains these violations.
Chapter 1 will also tell you that reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia. This means that the above violations are on the same level as driving under the influence or possession of marijuana.
Because of this, there are many consequences you face when charged with reckless driving. As chapter 2 will tell you, these can include fines and even, in certain cases, jail time. There can be other long-term consequences, too. For example, your insurance premiums can go up or you’ll have the mark on your permanent record, which can affect future job prospects.
What defenses can I use in Mecklenburg County?
These penalties can be hefty, but you do have the opportunity to defend yourself against your charges. In order to convict you of reckless driving, the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were guilty of the violation you’ve been charged with.
You have several defenses, as laid out in chapter 3, that you can use to combat these charges. You can argue that you weren’t the driver of the vehicle involved in the reckless driving incident or that you were driving in a locality different than the one the Commonwealth is trying to prove you were in.
You do, however, have to be careful. As chapter 4 will show you, there are many defenses that should not be used in court. Having the use the bathroom or going with the flow of traffic just won’t cut it as defenses.
What outcomes might be available for a Mecklenburg County reckless driving ticket?
If none of these defenses seem to work for you, you still have other options. Sometimes, as chapter 5 tells you, you can work to get your charges reduced. Judges may even use community service or driver improvement clinics that can also reduce your charges.
You may want to talk to an attorney in Mecklenburg County now, though. You don’t have to hire one yet; most lawyers offer free consultations and will be able to tell you about the judges in your area and help you to fully explore your options.
Also, if you don’t like the result of your case, you can always appeal. You’ll get a new trial and a different judge. Chapter 7 will tell you more about the appeals process.
Do I need to hire a Mecklenburg County reckless driving lawyer?
The decision is up to you! If you do decide to hire a lawyer, read chapter 8. It will give you questions that you should ask an attorney before hiring them to assess how good they will be for your case. These questions go beyond just asking how much a lawyer’s services cost and ask questions such as how often they handle reckless driving or traffic cases.
So now that you’ve had an overview of the book, you can get it for free by filling out the form below. You’ll be emailed a copy within seconds!