Well, I was in virginia this past weekend attending a conference and visiting a friend. While driving back from my friends house to where the conference was being held I was stopped by a state trooper for 83 in a 65. As always I was polite to the officer, and did everything I could to behave myself after the fact. At first, though I wasnt happy about the ticket I figured it wouldnt be too bad, 18 over, not in a construction zone, no traffic (3:30am when i got stopped), not in a safety zone. I figured maybe 200 bucks or so and since I have a CT license, probably dont have to worry about points or insurance. Today I get online to find out how much this is gonna cost me (havent called the court yet) and discovered to my dismay that any speed over 80mph is considered reckless driving in VA with up $2500 and 12months in prison . So to sum all this up in one word HELP! I know i shouldn't have been speeding and Im not trying to get off without paying the consequences but c'mon. Fine me, add a point or two to my record but jail time? Anyone have any experience with VA traffic law? I live in MI right now and would rather not drive back to goto court if I can avoid it, but I REALLY dont want to have to tell my parents that I got thrown in jail for a measly 18mph over the speed limit on an interstate.

 

This exact thing (within a few mph) happened to a friend of mine who lives in CT, and I think she ended up paying around $1000 (and no jail time ), but there was a brief period where it was sounding pretty crazy, as in there possibly being a standing warrant for her arrest in VA. Her father is also a lawyer in CT, though I can't remember if that ended up influencing the outcome. I do know that she had to get a lawyer in VA. Good luck!

 

You need to call down to a local Traffic lawyer ASAP, you have no other choice. They can give you the best assement of your situation, but you are now in for at least a couple grand in fees plus fines at the very least. Most likely you can get probation or community service, but this is a REDICULOUS law down there, that has been in the news before. Reckless in VA is the same as DUI/DWI now.

 

I live in Virginia, and I discovered this the hard way too. I ended up paying a flat $500 fee to a lawyer who used to be a prosecutor in the same court... but even then the judge decided to let it stick, since I had one speeding ticket on my record previously. I forget what the fine and court costs came to, but it was several hundred, at least.

The funny thing is I wasn't even trying to get out of the ticket, just trying to have it reduced to a non-reckless, since it was a clear day, fairly light traffic, not weaving in and out, etc... in other words, it was only reckless based solely on the speed itself. Conditions and vehicle be damned. So asinine.

There's a lot of things I like about living in Virginia, but the ****-like traffic laws & enforcement aren't one of them. When I eventually leave the state, I won't miss that part one bit.

 

I work at Marks & Harrison in Richmond VA. Although personal injury based, we have some traffic/criminal lawyers. I can ask around for advice.

On a side note, i'm deathly scared to speed and wouldn't do it in VA.

 

you'll be getting a barrage of mail from local lawyers. they will explain why you should get a lawyer and how it will be cheaper in the long run than paying the ticket off. they usually go for one of two ways of getting you off....


improper equipment. that's the easy one but 18 over might be to much for that one.

the other is PJC. or prayer for judgement continuation. what that does is give you a freebie for a few years. it kind of goes on hold for three years. if you don't get another ticket with in three years it just goes away. if you do get another ticket then the new ticket and the old one show up.

my recomendation is get the ticket reduced to say 14 over or 9 over. then get a PJC. that way if you do get another ticket you don't lose your DL

here in North Carolina 15 over is the automatic revocation of licence. this usually doesn't happen. most cops will just write down 14 over because it's a big hassel for them to take your license.

in NC 9 over is the cut off for either insurance or DMV points i can't remember. both are bad but insurance cost money.

like i said earlier 15 here is lose of license. good luck let us know how many letters your get in the mail from various lawyers. unless your get the mail everyday for the next two weeks your parents will figure out whats going on.

 

I almost got a reckless driving ticket in VA.
I was called into work at 1AM or so on a Tuesday night. It was crunch time so I had no problem going, but I wanted to make it a quick trip to work and back cause I was dead tired. I was going at least 76 in a 55 on 66West towards Fairfax. I got pulled over and the officer asked if I knew I was going 75, I told him straight up, "yes I did"

So he came back and wrote that I was doing 74 rather than 75 which would have cost me alot. I used to live in MD and have done much faster and caught breaks from the officers. Luckily since this was my first ticket in VA my fine was dropped, points stuck but whatever.

But after reading the fines for various traffic offenses I'm never going to speed more than 10mph over the speed limit.

 

I think all of the advice you've gotten so far is good, especially calling the court to see if you can plead guilty without returning to VA and if not, get a local lawyer.

My gut reaction (I'm not an attorney) is: if they threw everybody in jail in VA for going 18 mph over, there wouldn't be room for real criminals. With an out-of-state license, the cop wouldn't have let you drive off if he thought you were facing real jail time.

Just my opinion

hs

 

"Ya got a reeeeaal Purty mouth, Boy!!!"

But seriously - you gotta love Virginia...which BTW, is NOT for lovers. It's for local cops and municipalities who make money off YOU as you drive through THEIR state.

Hey - I'm not trying to suggest they shouldn't enforce the law, but c'mon!!! let's be reasonable folks, and NOT rip-off people.

Simple fix - just don't go to Virginia or do business with vendors/other business there if possible.

- - m

 

Dare i mention again how much i can't stand the cops here? They like to waste their time and mine just to torment me about looking under age at curfew.

I've never gotten a ticket. Lots of warnings. But they never explain what my "warning" is. "We'll just call this a warning. Make yourself look older before i pull you over again at midnight and give you a real ticket."

 

do no, do not do not admit guilt. the lawyers there don't have to have you there. they'll send you a paper to sign that that gives them legal power to represent you without you being there. in MOST states if you get a ticket over 15 your home state can take your license also.

quit listening to everyones ideas and talk to a lawyer in the county you got the ticket.

 

One of the attorneys at work said:

"Tell them to get a local attorney, and have the attorney request that the charge be dropped to improper driving (if they have a clean driving record). There is no paying in advance online, the attorney, or the defendant, will have to show up in court to request the reduced charge. I can give you names of attorneys in the Richmond area, but they should look on the internet for other jurisdictions. They will probably start getting solicitations from attorneys in the mail. Let me know if you have any more questions. If their driving record isn’t so clean, then they won’t get the reduction, but they probably won’t get a $2500 fine (that is the maximum). An attorney can also help get the fine reduced too."

 

Thanks everyone for your support and help. I knew there was a good reason i loved this community. I don't plan on pleading guilty. I have already made arrangements to appear on my court date. Unfortunately never going back to VA is not an option for me as my fraternity's international headquarters is in lexington and i already know im gonna haveto be there twice in the next three months for various things. I did speak to a woman at the court not too long ago and while she made i clear that no promise was implied, she did say that for so little over the 80 limit she almost never sees this particular judge hand out anything more than a good heavy fine. At this point Ill be happy to pay whateverthey want just to make it go away as long as I dont end up with a criminal record for it. As for my parents... Im screwed. I live in MI while im at school and was too stupid to tell that to the cop when he asked if the permanent address on my license is my mailing address. I have been told that i have to wait a while until my date gets closer before the court can change the listed mailing address. So im just gonna have to fess up and deal with my dad getting on my case about speeding again (it wont matter to him that i havent been pulled over in 4 years just that i did get pulled over this wekend) but o well. Not much he can do.

Btw, This is WAAY of topic and probably completely tastless but im not really thinking straight right now. Samantha, if thats you in the pics... you're cute.

 

I feel your pain. I rarely speed but even I avoid spending too much time driving through Virginia. I never vacation there, even though the state is gorgeous. It's all because of these stupid laws. Virginia is also the only state that outlaws the use of radar detectors. (They're illegal in D.C. as well.)

Good luck on fighting that ticket, and find another route on your next road trip.

 

are we really the only state that can't have radar detectors? there's gotta be more.

I know when i go visit Maryland, i see the detectors all over the place... then i enter my lovely state again, and BAM, the "radar detectors are illegal, welcome to virginia" sign. I have absolutely no need for a detector. Unless i'm with the MINI club i pooped myself the first time i hit 71 mph in the mini... in a 65.

and thanks soofle... i think

 

You, D.C. and Canada, that's about it around here.

 

I believe we're one of two states that outlaw radar detectors, but I can't remember what the other one is (or was).

Let's not trash VA. This state has been very good to me, and I've heard of some equally horrid police stories from plenty of other states.

The fact is, simply, that VA has become very serious about enforcing traffic laws. There was a long time when going 100+ would only get you a slap on the wrist.

I think the state has been caving to external pressure to control some dangerous habits, and I can't entirely blame them.

As for soofle's dilemma, I'd say your safest bet is to get your speedo calibrated (after talking to an attorney). If you can show that your speedo is high by 4%, you don't qualify for reckless. That difference could be accounted for by a change in tire dimensions.

Yes, you will lose some money, but by fighting the charge, you will, in most cases, get it reduced.

 

http://speedtrap.org/

Lots of good info about speed limits, laws, and other goodies.

 

I've been there a few times. Entertaining site.

 

Not Virginia bashing - it's a beautiful state, and I have family there. . .used to live there, too. . .so I feel qualified to ask this question:

How the hell do laws like this get passed, anyway?? Who's to say that 80 MPH is 'unsafe?' I'd find out who authored this bill and jump on the bandwagon to get them OUT of office before they take away some more individual rights. Laws like that are just absurd. How is 83 in a MINI more of a menace than some old half-blind geezer in a '72 Buick with bald tires and worn-out original brakes? Or the mom in her minivan talking on the cell phone while she's feeding her brood in the back seats?? I mean, c'mon. Good car, clear roads - that's not a menace, it's properly utilizing a well designed highway system. Laws like this don't serve any real purpose other than fattening the coffers of local cities and towns.

Gawd, all this government imposed meddling in the name of 'safety' makes me wanna puke. . .

 

*holds out barf bag*

 

My god $2,500 and 12months in prison.
I'm sorry to hear about your ordeal.
I know now to stay away from virginia...........

 

Gee, thanks. . .

I know, I've been on some rants today.

I need to switch to decaf. . .

 

You're welcome. I meant tasteless in the sense that in a thread discussing me going to jail and with the comment above about my "purty mouth" my comment isnt exactly appropriate.

BTW, just to clarify. I hold no animosity towards VA. It is a beautiful state. I love the east coast for its trees, hills, and general lack of large cities and VA is no exception. Once I get this whole thing settled I have every intention of visiting again as I do have a friend there and of course my national fraternity as i mentioned earlier. I just will have to reconsider putting a brick under my gas pedal before i get there instead of using my foot as a brick on top of it.

 

My advice - DO NOT show up in court and try to plead your case. You should hire a lawyer experienced in traffic cases in that particular area/court. You have a much better chance of getting a reduction that way.