Is It Worth Getting a Lawyer for a Speeding Ticket in Virginia?
While you might initially think that you can handle your speeding ticket on your own, it is important to consider the benefits of working with an attorney who can fight for you.
I work with clients who are Virginia residents, as well as people who are passing through the state. Many do not know that a reckless driving ticket—which a driver can get for speeding—is a misdemeanor offense in the state of Virginia.
I know how important it is to avoid having a criminal record, and I can help you fight your traffic ticket to avoid a misdemeanor conviction.
There are many different reasons that it is worth getting a lawyer when you have a speeding ticket in Virginia. Here are the top five reasons I recommend working with an aggressive Virginia traffic ticket lawyer.
You Could Have a Criminal Record If You Were Cited for Reckless Driving
Did you know that you could end up with a criminal record if you were speeding in Virginia? The state of Virginia has extremely strict traffic laws when it comes to speeding, and many speeding citations actually are “reckless driving” tickets.
Under the Code of Virginia § 46.2-862, any driver who is caught driving 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, or over 85 miles per hour, can face a reckless driving ticket.
For example, you could get a reckless driving ticket if you were traveling at 45 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone, but you can also be cited for reckless driving if you were traveling at 81 miles per hour on a highway where the speed limit was 70 miles per hour.
Reckless driving is a misdemeanor offense in Virginia, which means anyone who receives a reckless driving ticket can have a criminal record. A traffic lawyer can help you to avoid a conviction.
Your Punishment Can Be Negotiated
When a driver gets a speeding ticket or a reckless driving ticket in Virginia, this does not mean that the driver automatically will receive the maximum punishment under the law. To be sure, judges in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and throughout the state of Virginia have significant discretion in determining the punishment for the driver.
In addition, it is typically in a judge’s discretion to reduce a reckless driving charge to a lesser offense. A Virginia traffic lawyer can help to get your punishment or your offense reduced.
I can help to show a judge that your ticket should be reduced based on a variety of mitigating factors, such as your safe driving history or calibration issues with your speedometer.
I have years of experience helping drivers with traffic tickets, and I know that Virginia judges can reduce a reckless driving charge down to a lesser offense. If you can get your charge reduced from reckless driving to improper driving or maybe even defective equipment, you will not have to worry about having a misdemeanor conviction and a criminal record.
Instead, you will only need to report the offense in situations where you must disclose your history of traffic infractions. For the most part, employers will never know about a traffic infraction, but a misdemeanor conviction could result in you losing your job or being unable to receive a promotion at work.
Not As Expensive As You Might Think
A traffic lawyer is more affordable than you might think. I offer a flat rate to my clients for a traffic defense case so you will always know how much it will cost to fight your speeding ticket.
When you and I discuss the details of your case, I will tell you the fixed fee for your unique case.
Traffic Lawyers Know About Successful Defenses to Speeding Tickets
Most drivers who have speeding tickets do not have significant familiarity with the defenses that may be available to them in order to beat the ticket.
I can help to show that you should not have been cited for speeding or for reckless driving in Virginia based on the specific facts of your case.
Common defenses to traffic tickets include but are not limited to:
- You were not actually going at the speed for which you were cited;
- Your speedometer is faulty or defective;
- Police officer who issued you a ticket incorrectly read a radar device;
- Radar device used to clock your speed was faulty or defective; and/or
- You were speeding because of an emergency.
You May Not Need to Return to Virginia to Go to Court
I work with many clients who received speeding tickets while they were merely driving through the state of Virginia. Some of those clients live in neighboring states while others live thousands of miles away.
When you work with a traffic lawyer, you may not need to return to Virginia in order to fight your speeding ticket. I can help to get your ticket reduced and can fight for you even when you are miles away.
Contact a Virginia Speeding Ticket Attorney
Do you need help fighting a speeding ticket in Virginia? A Virginia traffic ticket lawyer can help with your case.
When I handle your traffic ticket case, you will have a dedicated advocate on your side. Contact the law office of Andrew Flusche to learn more about how I can assist you.