reckless 83/55 in fairfax, VA

[msulliv4]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? virginia

yesterday i was driving on I-66 in fairfax and an undercover cop on the road (not stopped clocking people's speed) pulled me over. i knew i was at about 80 when he pulled me over. he told me i was going 83 and summoned me with a reckless driving court date.

i have a spotless driving record and +4 safety points.

the officer mentioned twice that he would do what he could in court to vouch for me on behalf of my manners, cooperativeness, and perfect record.

i have since enrolled in a $50 online defensive driving course through DrivingUniversity so that i can bring my certificate of completion to the judge. i have also requested my driving record so i can bring the sealed envelope to the judge.

based on all of that, and considering the strictness of fairfax judges, what do you think my best option is? gamble without a lawyer?

i have 4 months of nursing school left and don't know how a reckless speeding charge would affect job prospects. i'm a wreck right now and i have so much else going on. my own damn fault.

thanks so much for any and all input

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

You need a lawyer.

 

[msulliv4]

You need a lawyer.

yikes, thanks for your input. do you have experience with virginia courts directly? just curious, i think you're probably right regardless.

 

[FlyingRon]

Every GDC in Virginia has lawyers that deal with them. Fairfax has more than most. You can find them in the phonebook or google or contacting the county bar association.

You probably wasted your time and money if you took an online VADIP course at this point.

You can speak to the CA prior to your trial and see if he will reduce it to improper driving, but your best bet indeed is with an attorney. I've dealt with two different Fairfax GDC judges and both were extreme hardasses. You'd have done better in Loudoun.

 

[msulliv4]

thanks for your input. i'm getting prepared for a hardass judge, based on everything i'm hearing.

apparently this reckless driving misdemeanor should affect getting hired as an RN as long as i'm honest and open about the charge. nothing malicious or dishonest about the charge, just a stupid traffic mistake.

do you have any sense of what people with clean records typically walk away with fine-wise for pleading guilty?

as long as it doesn't affect my future employment then i'll take the misdemeanor and fine

 

[msulliv4]

Every GDC in Virginia has lawyers that deal with them. Fairfax has more than most. You can find them in the phonebook or google or contacting the county bar association.

You probably wasted your time and money if you took an online VADIP course at this point.

You can speak to the CA prior to your trial and see if he will reduce it to improper driving, but your best bet indeed is with an attorney. I've dealt with two different Fairfax GDC judges and both were extreme hardasses. You'd have done better in Loudoun.

thanks for your input. i'm getting prepared for a hardass judge, based on everything i'm hearing.

apparently this reckless driving misdemeanor should affect getting hired as an RN as long as i'm honest and open about the charge. nothing malicious or dishonest about the charge, just a stupid traffic mistake.

do you have any sense of what people with clean records typically walk away with fine-wise for pleading guilty?

as long as it doesn't affect my future employment then i'll take the misdemeanor and fine

 

[HighwayMan]

You can speak to the CA prior to your trial and see if he will reduce it to improper driving...

But in some GDCs no one is prosecuting the traffic cases (including misdemeanors) except the officer, so there is no one to try to make a deal with.

 

[FlyingRon]

But in some GDCs no one is prosecuting the traffic cases (including misdemeanors) except the officer, so there is no one to try to make a deal with.

Sorry, Hightway Man, this is NOT correct. While the CA may not be prosecuting the case, one is ALWAYS present during court sessions. If he shows up with an attorney, I guarantee the commonwealth will prosecute it with their own attorney and not just the officer.

 

[HighwayMan]

Interesting. My GF is an attorney and got a misdemeanor speed in King George County. She went to court and told me (I wasn't there) that there was no one to deal with except the police officer who wrote the ticket and the judge. She had also called the court before making the trip down and was told by the clerk's office that in that court no one prosecutes traffic offenses, including misdemeanors, except the issuing officer. Of course, she's not admitted in Virginia so she was not appearing as an attorney, but she does certainly know her way around courts and court rooms.

I would have expected that if there was a CA dealing with cases she would have found him.

I was going by this information when I made my comment.

 

[colourfastt]

Interesting. My GF is an attorney and got a misdemeanor speed in King George County. She went to court and told me (I wasn't there) that there was no one to deal with except the police officer who wrote the ticket and the judge. She had also called the court before making the trip down and was told by the clerk's office that in that court no one prosecutes traffic offenses, including misdemeanors, except the issuing officer. Of course, she's not admitted in Virginia so she was not appearing as an attorney, but she does certainly know her way around courts and court rooms.

I would have expected that if there was a CA dealing with cases she would have found him.

I was going by this information when I made my comment.

For Fauquier Co., the DCA certainly does show to prosecute traffic offenses; the DCA also shows in Prince William Co. I'd guess that in a small rural county like King George the DCA isn't quite as interested, but in the urban counties, and Fairfax is certainly one, count on the DCA/CA being there.

 

[FlyingRon]

Some of the speed trap jurisdictions will waive jail time on the reckless and not have a CA. I guarantee if she had showed up with a lawyer and no CA was there, they'd have continued it.

 

[HighwayMan]

Some of the speed trap jurisdictions will waive jail time on the reckless and not have a CA. I guarantee if she had showed up with a lawyer and no CA was there, they'd have continued it.

I urged her to at least reach out and contact a local attorney to get an idea how the court there works, but she's stubborn and said she'd figure it out on her own when she got there.

The disposition was pretty much automatic - officer testified briefly and judge found her guilty but disposition was deferred pending completion of a traffic safety class. Charge was dismissed upon completion of the class and the payment of $89 in court costs.