An Arlington reckless driving lawyer can provide you with legal help if you are charged with the criminal offense of reckless driving. Police and prosecutors can sometimes overreach and a simple traffic offense could lead to a charge of driving recklessly instead of just a ticket. You have defenses available to you when charged with driving recklessly, and your attorney can help you to fight conviction so you can try to keep your license and your clean driving record. Learn about other criminal charges in Arlington.
Due to the amount of experience our lawyers have defended clients against reckless driving charges in the Arlington area, we offer a great deal of legal savvy when it comes to serving clients. Understanding that a reckless driving conviction can result in fairly serious consequences when you sign a defense lawyer at our firm, he or she will exercise any viable defense strategies that may result in a penalty reduction or dismissal.
Your attorney can also represent you in a trial if you plead not guilty to reckless driving. The goal is to simply raise questions about whether you are guilty since you don’t have to prove you’re innocent in our innocent until proven guilty legal system.
Your reckless driving lawyer can talk to the prosecutor about a plea bargain. You could sometimes be charged with a lesser offense or get a lesser penalty if a deal can be worked out with the prosecutor assigned to your case.
At every step of dealing with charges, your Arlington reckless driving lawyer will be there to fight for you. Call today to learn more.
Reckless driving is defined in Virginia Code Section 46.2-852. Under this code section, a person may face charges for this Class 1 misdemeanor offense if:
In addition to reckless speeding, individuals may also face reckless driving charges for actions that seem far less serious—like forgetting to indicate when turning or changing lanes.
For example, simply going five or 10 miles over the speed limit should not result in a reckless driving charge. However, if an individual exceeds the speed limit in the midst of a terrible snow storm by 10 MPH, he or she could potentially be charged. This would be an example of a reckless driving charge influenced by hazardous driving conditions.
The problem is, many drivers do not know when their behavior has crossed over from being a mere traffic infraction into being reckless. This can lead to unfair outcomes. If you have been charged, a reckless driving lawyer in Arlington can work to build an argument that your actions were not high-risk road behaviors.
For a person to be found guilty of a charge of reckless driving, the prosecutor has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that your speed or other actions were a danger to others. Some of the different types of driving behavior that a prosecutor may point to in order to show that your actions were unreasonably reckless may include:
If you can raise doubts about whether you engaged in the driving behaviors you are accused of, or can make the jury question whether your actions were actually reckless, you may be able to avoid conviction. An Arlington reckless driving lawyer can work to put together an argument to present in court.
A first offense reckless driving conviction can result in up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 according to Code Section 46.2-868. There is an additional $250 fine if you were using an electronic device (like a smartphone).
You’ll also get six demerit points on your license, which could lead to a license suspension for up to 6 months- and which will lead to higher insurance costs. The record of the reckless driving offense will be a part of your driving history for 11 years.
When you are facing reckless driving charges in Arlington, there’s no need to face them alone. The Arlington reckless driving lawyers at our firm have helped many clients like you to overcome their charges and get back on the road. Call us today to conduct your free consultation.