First ticket ever and it's Reckless Driving (Hampton: crime, felony) - Hampton Roads area - Virginia (VA) -Chesapeake - Hampton - Newport News - Norfolk - Portsmouth - Suffolk - Virginia Beach - City-Data Forum

dolci · 08-26-2009, 01:39 PM

I am absolutely horrified. On Monday I was taking my 10-year old daughter and a friend to VA Beach for 2 days. I borrowed a friends' car as mine has no air conditioning and is on its last legs (not an excuse-just explaining).

The girls were singing Journey in the back seat and I was joining in. I admit that I was not paying full attention to my speed.

The officer clocked me at 80 mph in a 55.

I have a perfectly clean driving record. Obviously, I need to show up for court (there is no other option) but should I try and hire a lawyer?

Can someone recommend one that won't cost me a fortune - again, not trying to be cheap but am in the middle of a divorce and bankrupty. (Gee - this is beginning to sound like a bad country song).

Thanks.

kairi2 · 08-26-2009, 03:41 PM

what city did you get the ticket in? vb?

dolci · 08-27-2009, 08:29 AM

I guess Hampton. It says I-64, West of Magruder Blvd. I don't know the area at all, so that's all I have to go on.

Erma · 08-27-2009, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dolci

I guess Hampton. It says I-64, West of Magruder Blvd. I don't know the area at all, so that's all I have to go on.

If you were stopped by state patrol, getting a lawyer won't help from what I've seen in traffic court cases when I had jury duty.
25 over the speed limit...wow! I guess you weren't paying attention

DFGebo · 08-27-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dolci

I am absolutely horrified. On Monday I was taking my 10-year old daughter and a friend to VA Beach for 2 days. I borrowed a friends' car as mine has no air conditioning and is on its last legs (not an excuse-just explaining).

The girls were singing Journey in the back seat and I was joining in. I admit that I was not paying full attention to my speed.

The officer clocked me at 80 mph in a 55.

I have a perfectly clean driving record. Obviously, I need to show up for court (there is no other option) but should I try and hire a lawyer?

Can someone recommend one that won't cost me a fortune - again, not trying to be cheap but am in the middle of a divorce and bankrupty. (Gee - this is beginning to sound like a bad country song).

Thanks.

Where are you from?

If you're from out of the area, I would try to file a continuence with the excuse that work or lack of child care or something is preventing you to make it.

Then, try to do the same thing the following month, and so on.

Troopers only go to court once or twice a month. So if they schedule your appearance on a day that the trooper isn't normally scheduled to be there, they might not show up.

Then, you can simply plead not guilty, and since no one is there to argue otherwise, you walk out.

This happened to me back in 2001. I showed at the courthouse, and noticed I was the only one on the docket with my troopers name next to it. The judge called me up and asked how I plead, I said Not guilty, and he said "Very well. Have a nice day."

Best of luck to you.

dolci · 08-27-2009, 11:06 AM

I have a 3.5 hour drive to get there (definitely not in the area). I don't even have a VA driver's license, it's from Maryland.

Spazkat9696 · 08-27-2009, 11:27 AM

You're not getting out of the ticket. Save your money, and just go to court alone. With the way the economy is going no one is getting off anymore. The state needs to get money any way they can.

dolci · 08-27-2009, 11:31 AM

I don't expect to get out of the ticket - let me be perfectly clear about that. However, Reckless driving is a Class 1 Misdemeanor in VA. That is the highest level of crime short of a felony. You have to have large amounts or be caught multiple times before marijuana posession rises to Class 1. Public Masturbation is Class 1. Assault is Class 1. Breaking and Entering is Class 1 (if damage is less than $1000) etc. etc. If convicted of reckless driving I will have a criminal record for the rest of my life. It will come off of mydriving record, but the crimimal record is permanent. Every time I am asked the question of whether or not I have a criminal record, I will have to say yes. Sure many employers will see that it was "just reckless driving/speeding" but maybe they'll wonder if I pled down to that and was actually drunk driving. Yes, they can look it up and see I didn't plea, but maybe they'll just move on. Maybe they will move on as soon as they see "yes" to the question of a criminal record.

Randomdude · 08-27-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dolci

Every time I am asked the question of whether or not I have a criminal record, I will have to say yes. Sure many employers will see that it was "just reckless driving/speeding" but maybe they'll wonder if I pled down to that and was actually drunk driving. Yes, they can look it up and see I didn't plea, but maybe they'll just move on. Maybe they will move on as soon as they see "yes" to the question of a criminal record.

Most every application you will fill out specifically states "Have you been convicted of anything OTHER then a traffic violation in the last X amount of years"

dolci · 08-27-2009, 11:59 AM

Not disagreeing entirely however, I also am aware of positions which request whether there has been ANY criminal activity, including traffic violations. (I heard this from a friend that is an atty although he cannot represent me as he does domestic abuse law)