Alexandria Reckless Driving Lawyer

In the event you are charged with a reckless driving criminal offense, the initial step you should take is to contact a quality Alexandria VA reckless driving lawyer to get the all-important legal assistance. There are numerous cases of police and prosecutors overstating a situation, which results in receiving a reckless driving charge rather than a ticket.

There are numerous legal options available to you when facing such a charge. However, choosing an experienced Alexandria Reckless Driving Lawyer will guide you to which legal course of action is best when fighting the loss or suspension of your license or having a permanent bad record on your driving license. 

Read more about this type of criminal charge and how a lawyer can help you if you live in Alexandria.

Why Should You Hire an Experienced Alexandria VA Reckless Driving Attorney?

Our team of passionate lawyers has amassed ample experience over many years of defending clients within and around Alexandria against reckless driving charges. As such, our team brings a great wealth of legal expertise and knowledge when serving our clients. 

We appreciate the magnitude of the charge as well as the severity of the consequences following a successful prosecution of a reckless driving charge. We go above and beyond to reduce the penalty or outright case dismissal using all the appropriate legal defense strategies.

When choosing to take a no guilty plea, your attorney will endeavor to represent you effectively throughout the trial. Regardless of the strategies used, the main focus is to increase doubt over guilt. Keep in mind that you do not have to prove innocence, as you are assumed innocent until proven guilty in our judicial system.

If you choose to take a plea deal, your Alexandria VA Reckless Driving Lawyer will take charge of the negotiation process of your plea bargain with the prosecutor. There are cases where the prosecutor will offer a plea bargain with a lesser charge or a less severe penalty when working out a deal with the prosecutor handling the case.

An experienced Alexandria Reckless Driving Lawyer will guide you through the process with your best interest at heart, helping you deal with the charge. If you need more information, please contact us.

Understanding Reckless Driving in Alexandria?

The definition of reckless driving is referenced in the Virginia Code Section 46.2-852, which states that you might be charged with a misdemeanor offense in the following instance:

• If you drive a vehicle on any road and highway dangerously and carelessly that endangers the limb, life, or property of another individual.
  

• If you drive a vehicle on any road and highway at unsafe speeds that place other motorists and or properties in danger.
  

Apart from driving at unsafe speeds, you might also be charged with reckless driving for actions that you might consider less dangerous. For instance, you can get a reckless driving charge for not indicating when changing lanes or turning.

That said, you should not get a reckless driving charge when you exceed the speed limit by 5 to 10 MPH. However, when you exceed the speed by 10 MPH during a snowstorm, you can potentially get a reckless driving charge. The influence of hazardous driving conditions can cause your action of speeding to become a reckless driving charge.

Evidently it is difficult to know when your actions exceed the threshold, separating a minor traffic violation to a reckless driving charge. As such, many drivers end up with an unfair charge with an equally unfair outcome. If you have been charged with reckless driving in Alexandria, an attorney will make it a priority to build a solid argument that your behavior and actions were not high-risk.

What Actions Can Be Considered Reckless in Alexandria VA?

For the prosecutor to successfully prosecute a reckless driving case, the prosecutor has the daunting tasks of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that your actions, behavior, and speed placed other individuals in danger. Some of the driving actions and behaviors that the prosecutor might use to prove your actions put others in jeopardy include:

• Driving a vehicle with faulty brakes
• Overtaking in prohibited zones or while taking a turn
• Street racing
• Not stopping for a school bus that has stopped
• Over speeding during unsafe road or extreme weather conditions 
• Using the wrong traffic lane
• Participating in a high-speed chase
• Not stopping for an emergency vehicle such as a police car or fire truck that has its siren on
• Driving more than 20 MPH or above 80 MPH over the limit
  

It is possible to avoid conviction if you can raise questions whether you engage in risky driving actions and behavior or if you can convey doubt on the jury as to whether your actions can or should be considered reckless. When you hire a reckless driving attorney, you improve your odds to succeed in court.

Reckless Driving Penalties in Alexandria VA?

According to Code Section 46.2-868, the penalty for the first conviction of reckless driving offense is a jail term of up to one year and a fine of up to $2,500. You can get an extra $250 fine if you were using an electronic device (for instance, a smartphone) during the reckless driving episode.

Moreover, you can get a suspension of up to 6 months on your license. You should also expect your insurance costs to rise significantly, owing to the five demerits points you get. A reckless driving offense will remain on your record for up to 11 years. 

Why An Alexandria Reckless Driving Lawyer Can Help You

When faced with the serious charge of reckless driving, you do not have to handle the case alone. Our experienced Alexandria reckless driving lawyers have worked with many clients facing similar predicaments, helping them fight the charges and get back to driving.