Reckless driving in Bland County, VA - please help.. (Fairfax: insurance, lawyer)

[doobster]

Hi All,

I got a reckless driving ticket in Bland County last Sunday (March 15th). I'll be honest here; it was my fault, I was going at 101 mph in a 65mph zone. The officer gave me a reckless driving ticket and asked me to appear in court on April 1st.

I researched on this and know this is a serious offence. I am originally from NC and was just passing through VA. I have started speaking to a attorneys in and around Bland County to see what my options are.

My driving record is clean and this is my first ticket of any kind.

I would appreciate if you could provide feedback on the following:

* recos for attorneys in/around bland county
* can i get this reduced to speeding (more of wishful thinking i guess)
* what are the implications of this on my NC license (is there any way to prevent my NC license from being suspended?)
* any advise that you may have

( I know this forum has a lot of reckless driving posts and not many have taken kindly to it.. but would really appreciate your advise/feedback on this)

[Dr.Jim]

Only thing I can comment on is that there is a strong relationship/information share between states nowadays regarding this stuff.
It used to not be this way, what you did in one state typically didnt affect you in your home state, and didnt cost points,...etc. Now it does.

Let us know how it turns out for you.........

and btw - 101mph? You kind of deserve some punishment here ya' know. Coulda killed somebody.....

[doobster]

thanks for the feedback Jim.

Originally Posted by Dr.Jim

and btw - 101mph? You kind of deserve some punishment here ya' know. Coulda killed somebody.....

I know it was not the right thing to do; but I just got carried away as there was no one else on the road at that time. I'm just hoping I'll get away without jail time.

[Dr.Jim]

Jail time? I'm not basing this on fact...but I seriously doubt you will get jail time! Be more worred about possible license suspension? OR more than likely a serious fine and points and insurance premium increase!

Yeah,....we've prolly all been there at one point or another in our lives,....completely open road,....temptation to go 100+.....I've been there,...but 25 years later see it in a different light...

[HarryLou]

I had a speeding ticket last year--radar trap, was so upset. But that's what led me to this great forum. Search on Reckless Driving in Northern Virginia forum. Someone shared a similar experience and you will benefit from reading. That said, his was in Fairfax County ... so your experience (Bland County) will be different. He was able to get the charge reduced after appealing. Get the best attorney you can find. Take the driver improvement course. Promise your Higher Power if He gets you out of this one, you'll [insert your choice of offering -- and mean it]. In my case, I didn't have to go to court so I caved and paid the fine.

[DC_Titan]

I just resolved my reckless driving ticket (88 in a 70). The ADA / Prosecutor gave me 10 MPHs, which basically meant I was driving 78 in a 70 and as such it was no longer reckless driving (just a regular speeding ticket). The end cost for me even with the "deal": $300 for the lawyer (didn't feel like driving 4 hours each way to attend), $400 for the ticket, $71 for Court fees & I have to attend (in person / on-line) a defensive driving course. Incidentally I had a good riving record in VA.

Now VA eats their own young (residents) but I'm not certain what they do to out of Staters (and if the fees are lighter). 101 MPH in a 65 is A LOT to ask a ADA to bargain down from reckless driving to a regular speeding ticket. My advice is to at least CALL a lawyer who handles reckless driving in the County you got pulled over with. They should have a good idea (representing plenty of past clients and dealing with the prosecutor dailey) if the ADA will work getting the ticket knocked down. I'm also fairly certain that NC works with VA and if VA suspends your DL's NC will also suspend your license.

[RBlibit]

Hey Doobster,
I just got one too (same place), although mine is not quite as bad as yours (88 in a 65), but anything over 81 in VA is now reckless driving. A road of that quality (top notch pavement) is 75 in many states in the US (80 in some).

It is a law designed to make money for the state and counties in VA (not to save lives). They can double and even triple the fines (or worse), but it is always about the MONEY - MORE MONEY. The states are hurting, and the counties all over the US have all over-spent their budgets due to the housing crisis - WAY more than they take in, and they send these poor country sheriffs out to MAKE MONEY for the county coffers. It is actually kind of sad, and we are caught in the middle of it. With NO ONE on a fairly new highway, and them sitting at the bottom of a big hill, it's obvious. I have no doubt that poor cop was under a quota. He was curt, he would not look me in the eyes, and he was nervous - It was so obvious. I felt kind of bad for him. He was stuttering and looked like he did not want to be there doing that to me. He is a patsy. A stooge with a badge.

I guess I will pay a lawyer $300 to $400, and heck, a good lawyer may even get it dropped down to 81 for you (you never know). All they want is MONEY. MONEY, MONEY and MORE MONEY. Sad but true. Not a soul in the world was in jeopardy from my driving (not even me), but it doesn't matter. Heck 6 people behind me were gaining on on me when he got me, and they all passed us like we were standing still (oh wait.. we were standing still by then (<grin>). I know, it is not funny at all (but humor keeps me from being angry). I don't have the money, and I sure don't have the time to go up there (and they know it - working people never do).
Look at it this way - it is one week of your life working to help support the state of VA or Bland county. They also know that coming out of that mountain you are looking at some of the most beautiful scenery around, and you are NOT looking at your speedometer (my car was rental, and I wasn't used to reading that net fangled speedometer, too (digital and analog combined - it kind of flips up and down in a strange sort of way) - they know it and they take advantage of us.

Such is life. Get a lawyer, I guess. That is what I am doing tomorrow.... I guess I'll rob a bank to pay for it. I already got two letters out of the blue from lawyers that I never heard of that knew I got a ticket... and they just want to "help me" (help me out of money) - how awfully nice of them. I am willing to bet one of them is "closely related" to the local Judge or the Bland County sheriff...

And DC_Titan - why did they rake you for $400 for a speeding ticket if they claim they knocked it down the 78 in a 70? (that is only 8 Mph over... something is not right on that one).
RBlibit

[vman650]

Originally Posted by RBlibit

Hey Doobster,
I just got one too (same place), although mine is not quite as bad as yours (88 in a 65), but anything over 81 in VA is now reckless driving. A road of that quality (top notch pavement) is 75 in many states in the US (80 in some).

It is a law designed to make money for the state and counties in VA (not to save lives). They can double and even triple the fines (or worse), but it is always about the MONEY - MORE MONEY. The states are hurting, and the counties all over the US have all over-spent their budgets due to the housing crisis - WAY more than they take in, and they send these poor country sheriffs out to MAKE MONEY for the county coffers. It is actually kind of sad, and we are caught in the middle of it. With NO ONE on a fairly new highway, and them sitting at the bottom of a big hill, it's obvious. I have no doubt that poor cop was under a quota. He was curt, he would not look me in the eyes, and he was nervous - It was so obvious. I felt kind of bad for him. He was stuttering and looked like he did not want to be there doing that to me. He is a patsy. A stooge with a badge.

I guess I will pay a lawyer $300 to $400, and heck, a good lawyer may even get it dropped down to 81 for you (you never know). All they want is MONEY. MONEY, MONEY and MORE MONEY. Sad but true. Not a soul in the world was in jeopardy from my driving (not even me), but it doesn't matter. Heck 6 people behind me were gaining on on me when he got me, and they all passed us like we were standing still (oh wait.. we were standing still by then (<grin>). I know, it is not funny at all (but humor keeps me from being angry). I don't have the money, and I sure don't have the time to go up there (and they know it - working people never do).
Look at it this way - it is one week of your life working to help support the state of VA or Bland county. They also know that coming out of that mountain you are looking at some of the most beautiful scenery around, and you are NOT looking at your speedometer (my car was rental, and I wasn't used to reading that net fangled speedometer, too (digital and analog combined - it kind of flips up and down in a strange sort of way) - they know it and they take advantage of us.

Such is life. Get a lawyer, I guess. That is what I am doing tomorrow.... I guess I'll rob a bank to pay for it. I already got two letters out of the blue from lawyers that I never heard of that knew I got a ticket... and they just want to "help me" (help me out of money) - how awfully nice of them. I am willing to bet one of them is "closely related" to the local Judge or the Bland County sheriff...

And DC_Titan - why did they rake you for $400 for a speeding ticket if they claim they knocked it down the 78 in a 70? (that is only 8 Mph over... something is not right on that one).
RBlibit

Sorry to say, but I have no sympathy for you or the other Gentleman going 101 mph. It might just be that going at those speeds could cost you your life. I worked in hospitals and saw some really nasty results of speeding episodes gone bad. What is even worse is that some of these speeders hurt other innocent people because of their foolishness. Perhaps in the future a stiff punishment may save your life if it keeps you from doing it again. Just like you, I have received speeding tickets, but it was usually for stuff like going 40 in a 25. Speed traps do exist and police are not always correct in what they do. I hate to think of what the roads would be like if there were no cops out there to force some of us to slow down.

[RBlibit]

I seek no sympathy from you or anyone else. And if you really worked in a hospital then you'd KNOW that most all accidents where speed is a factor (and I mean 99.9% of them) are one of three things: teenagers, alcohol/drugs or fatigue. There are always other factors. I watched a young man tailgate a semi at 80 Mph (and I mean 1 car length away) just because he couldn't get around him. It is that THAT type of thing that does it. It is not the speed alone. And I don't think either of us asked to have all police officers removed from he highways... I would like to see more random road blocks with breath-a-lizers employed, and also increase the driving age to a minimum of 18. THAT would save MANY, MANY more lives.

[TheRef]

Originally Posted by Dr.Jim

Jail time? I'm not basing this on fact...but I seriously doubt you will get jail time! Be more worred about possible license suspension? OR more than likely a serious fine and points and insurance premium increase!

Yeah,....we've prolly all been there at one point or another in our lives,....completely open road,....temptation to go 100+.....I've been there,...but 25 years later see it in a different light...

I have seen people sentenced to some jail time for reckless driving in traffic court before, in Loudoun County at least (and I don't expect more rural counties to be any more lenient) -- I once contested a speeding ticket and the case on the docket before mine was a guy charged with reckless driving, going around 90 mph in a 55 mph zone. He pleaded guilty and his sentence included a few days in jail; they took him away in cuffs.