Reckless Driving Virginia (Cana, Boydton: car insurance, attorney, home)

[Whattodo]

I have a Maryland Driving License and was stopped for reckless driving in Dinwiddie County VA. The officer told me that I was doing 84 mph in a 70 mph speed zone and that anything over 80 mph is considered reckless driving. I signed the form he gave me and was issued a court date. However, the form also states that I can plea guilty and have a "Trial in Absence". If I was to take this course of action I was wondering what the most likely fine would be ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[cb at sea]

You can call the court and they will tell you your fine.....and yes---anything over 80 MPH is considered "reckless", no matter what the speed limit is! Just so you know, Virginia doesn't have any 70 MPH roads! They're all 65 or below!

[Aspe4]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

You can call the court and they will tell you your fine.....and yes---anything over 80 MPH is considered "reckless", no matter what the speed limit is! Just so you know, Virginia doesn't have any 70 MPH roads! They're all 65 or below!

I used to think this too cb at sea. But on a recent trip to D.C. I took I-85 and some parts of it have a 70 mph limit.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Whattodo

I have a Maryland Driving License and was stopped for reckless driving in Dinwiddie County VA. The officer told me that I was doing 84 mph in a 70 mph speed zone and that anything over 80 mph is considered reckless driving. I signed the form he gave me and was issued a court date. However, the form also states that I can plea guilty and have a "Trial in Absence". If I was to take this course of action I was wondering what the most likely fine would be ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I think that it is HIGHLY INADVISABLE that you plea guilty on a reckless driving charge. You will pay considerably MORE on your car insurance AND it may affect your employment if driving is part of your job.

I would strongly recommend that you hire an attorney in Dinwiddie County IMMEDIATELY and see if you can get the charge reduced to simple speeding.

And learn to slow down since Virginia takes its speed limits seriously.

[mica]

might want to read this thread.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/virgi...-haunting.html

[jsthompson1]

Originally Posted by Whattodo

I have a Maryland Driving License and was stopped for reckless driving in Dinwiddie County VA. The officer told me that I was doing 84 mph in a 70 mph speed zone and that anything over 80 mph is considered reckless driving. I signed the form he gave me and was issued a court date. However, the form also states that I can plea guilty and have a "Trial in Absence". If I was to take this course of action I was wondering what the most likely fine would be ? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I kind of have the same problem. I was coming from Atlanta headed back to DC when I got pulled over 6 hours into my drive(4 hours left) in Boydton, VA for going 88 in a 70 area. It was around 8:00 and there was no one on the road. Before I was leaving Atlanta I accidently got hit in the eye and had a black eye and headache that was really hurting. I was just trying to get home as soon as possible so I could get some sleep to feel better to see if I could make it to work in the morning. There were other people in the car that could have drove but I was technically the only person authurized to drive the car. When I go to court should I tell the judge this story and what might happen as a result. I have no prior speeding tickets on my driving record and I'm a college student. I didnt think I was putting anyone in danger because there were no other vehicles on I-85 N at the time.

In reply to your message I called the courthouse and they said my fine would be $271 because anything over 80 is reckless driving. They said that if you go to court your fine could be reduced and u could also be required to complete a driver improvement course. You should definatly go to try and get you mph reduced

[reckless99]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

You can call the court and they will tell you your fine.....and yes---anything over 80 MPH is considered "reckless", no matter what the speed limit is! Just so you know, Virginia doesn't have any 70 MPH roads! They're all 65 or below!

Wrong.... Virginia does have 70mph roads - Interstate 85 from the NC state line for about 50 miles north, as authorized by the Code of Virginia:

Originally Posted by http://198.246.135.1/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+code+46.2-870

The maximum speed limit on Interstate Route 85 shall be 70 miles per hour where indicated by lawfully placed signs, erected subsequent to a traffic engineering study and analysis of available and appropriate accident and law-enforcement data.

Of course, driving more than 80 is reckless driving in Virginia, giving you a criminal charge effectively for driving 10+ over on I-85....

[reckless99]

Out-of-state drivers often aren't aware that what would normally be considered a mere speeding ticket elsewhere, is actually a criminal charge in Virginia.

The Code of Virginia has over 20 sections pertaining to reckless driving. It is defined as a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal offense, not a traffic infraction or a speeding ticket. For example, Virginia code explicitly defines the act of speeding 20 mph or more above the posted speed limit (or at any speed greater than 80 mph) as reckless driving.

All drivers convicted of reckless driving in Virginia, including out-of-state and foreign (e.g. Canadian) drivers, will have a permanent criminal record that will be indexed in the NCIC criminal database. The conviction will also be added to a Virginia driving record for 11 years, and six demerit points will be applied.

Because it is a criminal charge, you should know that if you don't show up for the trial judges will often issue a Bench Warrant for your arrest unless you are represented by a lawyer. This may apply even if you pay the ticket by mail.

So unless you already have a criminal record, or could care less, you probably should contact an attorney, and make arrangements to defend yourself in court.

[jhrichmond]

If you pay the fine and submit the ticket, where you agree to a "Trial in Absence" by trial date they will not issue a bench warrant for you.

[reckless99]

Originally Posted by jhrichmond

If you pay the fine and submit the ticket, where you agree to a "Trial in Absence" by trial date they will not issue a bench warrant for you.

Really. For a "Class 1 misdemeanor" criminal charge? Not all judges play it this way across Virginia, you know. Especially if they sentence you in absentia to jail time.

Guess some folks just want to get it over with, and don't care about the "collateral consequences" of a conviction. Like a criminal record.