It happens. You get a call from your daughter that she was caught speeding in Virginia on her way to Myrtle Beach for Spring Break. You breathe a sigh of relief that she and her friends weren’t doing anything more serious, like drinking and driving. You tell her she’ll just have to pay the fine herself when she gets back. Except now she’s crying on the phone telling you her speeding is considered a felony and she could be facing a year in jail.
What?
As shocking as it can be for people passing through the state, speeding can be a criminal offense in Virginia. When you need a traffic ticket attorney in Virginia, call Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C. Our knowledgeable team will help you navigate Virginia’s law. Don’t leave yourself at the mercy of a Judge when the jail is on the line.
In 2010, the Virginia legislature passed under Article 7 of the Motor Vehicles Code that anyone speeding in excess of 20mph over the posted speed limit will be charged with reckless driving, a Class 1 misdemeanor. So, what does that mean?
Instead of your daughter and her friends enjoying their Spring Break trip to Myrtle Beach and simply paying the speeding fine when they got home, a judge could make an example out of her to all the other Spring Breakers and give her the maximum punishment:
Now instead of enjoying a break from college, she could be taking a Gap Year in a two-story room lined with cells and trading her University sweater for a jumpsuit.
Sound unbelievable? A quick google search will give you first-hand accounts of people sent to jail for speeding.
Gaining the best representation in Virginia isn’t just to keep you out of jail for speeding. Many times, people are surprised and scared of a reckless driving charge. They feel pressured into accepting a plea offer and simply don’t understand the consequences of pleading guilty. Even without jail time, having a misdemeanor for reckless driving on your record could affect you for 11 years. Every time someone runs a background check on you, your reckless driving charge pops up to say, “Hello.”
Background checks aren’t just for security clearances anymore.
More and more people are subject to credit and background checks these days. Do you really want to put yourself in a position to be turned down for a job, loan, or house due to speeding in the wrong state?
Whether you are a Virginia resident or just trying to go south for the winter, watch your speed in Virginia. In the event you or someone you know has been caught speeding, don’t take a chance the judge may want to make an example out of you. You need someone to keep you out of jail and prevent all the nasty little things a guilty verdict brings with it in Virginia. When you need a traffic ticket lawyer in Virginia, contact Randall, Page & Bruch, P.C. for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or by calling 757-742-6115.
