Legal Question in Traffic Law in Virginia

speeding offenses

i managed to receive 2 tickets on one evening in 2 different counties. one is for speeding 51 in a 35 and the other is reckless driving in access of 20 mph. i am already familiar with the point system and how i may be affected. both court cases are closely dated. should i pay the one i am not which does not require a court appearance? will they both show up on my driving record before they have been processed by either payment or court appearance? should i hold off on paying for the first one i received? additionally, i do not have a bad driving record and it has been atleast 5 years since i have received a speeding ticket. should i seek legal representation? should i go to driving school before the court date or after? my eligibilty for a job will be in question with a reckless driving ticket on record. what are my options really?


Asked on 11/18/05, 1:21 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

Jonathon Moseley Jonathon A. Moseley

Re: speeding offenses

Agreed. Also, I would go quickly and get a copy

of your driving record from the DMV. Often

people's memory is faulty. You need to know

exactly what your score is. If your driving

record is indeed good (like a +2 or +5) you

can very likely get the prosecutor to bargain

down the charges in both cases to a lesser offense. However, the reckless driving charge

is an extremely serious charge which too many

officers give out like candy without really

understanding how incredibly serious it is.

You should postpone the lesser driving ticket as

much as possible.

Also, if you car is old you should get the

speedometer tested. If the speedometer is not

accurate, this may help you.

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Answered on 11/19/05, 5:45 pm
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: speeding offenses

You should request a continuance for the infraction matter(the payable one), seeking a continuance date well beyond the date for the criminal misdemeanor charge(reckless driving), and then engage the services of counsel who is familiar with the traffic court in which the matter is to be heard to represent you on this quite serious criminal charge which carries the potential for jail as well as a costly fine and possible repercussions for your insurance premiums as well as your future employment prospects.

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Answered on 11/18/05, 3:24 pm


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