Richmond Speeding Ticket Lawyer
Speeding offenses can be very serious in Richmond. They can result in high fines and numerous points on your driving record—anywhere from three to six points. In aggravated cases, they can result in a license suspension or even possibly a jail sentence. Furthermore, speeding tickets can have an impact on your insurance as well as your employment if you’re required to drive as part of your job.
With a speeding ticket in Richmond, typically what you’re looking at is a high fine along with points assessed against your license. Those points can have an impact on your driving record and your insurance as well as your employment if you’re required to drive for a job. Call and schedule a consultation with an experienced Richmond traffic lawyer to discuss your case.
Types of Speeding Offenses in Richmond
There are several different types of speeding offenses. Standard speeding offenses generally involve driving 10 to 19 miles per hour over the speed limit. The more serious speeding offenses are aggravated offenses—when your speed is 20 miles per hour or more over the speed limit or you’re going over 80 miles per hour in any speed zone. The additional offense of speeding in highway safety corridors can result in even more significant fines.
Some people try to protect themselves from speeding tickets by using radar detectors that will alert them when a radar gun is in use nearby. It is illegal to have these in someone’s vehicle while they are plugged in and operational.
Speeding Tickets v. Reckless Driving Charges
With a speeding ticket, you are not required to appear in court. However, if you do not appear in court and you do not have representation, the court will find you guilty in your absence. This differs from reckless driving in that most reckless driving cases require you to appear in court. Your Richmond defense attorney may be able get your appearance waived in a reckless driving case, however you will be required to appear in most reckless driving cases.
Reckless driving can involve high speed, but it can also involve an accident or a number of other types of driving. Typically, reckless driving does involve speed, but it can involve other offenses as well.
Ways Richmond Police Officers Prove Speeding
There are several ways an officer will try to prove that you were speeding in Richmond. In most cases, the officer determined that you were speeding based on a the results from speed reading instruments, radar guns among them. They will pull you over and speak with you briefly before issuing a ticket. The officer will testify to the reading from his or her radar device. Then, the officer will present documentation to the court about your speed as it was registered on the radar.
If it’s a case where the officer used pace instead, he or she will testify to how he or she paced your vehicle and will also testify as to the accuracy of the speedometer and/or whatever device was used to determine your speed via pace.
Additionally, there are often speed traps placed in and around Richmond to catch people driving over the posted speed limit.
Advantages of Hiring a Richmond Speeding Ticket Lawyer
The advantages of having an experienced speeding ticket lawyer in Richmond are many. First, an attorney is going to be able to speak with the commonwealth attorney as well as the officer in an attempt to get your charge reduced or dismissed. An attorney will also know exactly what to say to the judge in order help get your matter reduced or dismissed. Having an attorney comes with a lot of advantages that you won’t have on your own. Primarily, it comes down to your attorney’s ability to negotiate with the prosecutors with the idea of getting an agreement in place for reducing or dismissing your charge.
If you live out-of-state, it is important to remember that Virginia will notify your home state of a speeding ticket, leading to potential damage to your driving record. In such instances, it is helpful to hire a Richmond speeding ticket attorney to present your defense in court and hopefully minimize damage to your driving record.