Speeding ticket in VA

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
BIL got a speeding ticket on '95 - 81 in a 70.
Trooper said since it's > 80 it's automatically reckless driving.
What's the MO for tickets in VA? Harder to get tossed w/ the reckless driving addition?
Do they take speedo calibrations for improper equipment? He has 33s on his FJC, stock gears... but it's not off by much.

Otehrwise decent record. I'm sure he'll hire a lawyer, rather than go all the way out there himself etc.
 
i have gone the calibration route. mine was 10mph off. got a lawyer, got it calibrated, and payed a fine. not sure about the <80 thing though. just have to get a lawyer in that county i think. hope that helps. :beer:
 
I got one on I81 in Lynchburg, probably 2005 or so, got written up for 79mph. When I got home, I called a lawyer in that county, and he explained that the laws "just" changed, it would be very difficult for him to get it lowered or dropped. I couldn't believe he was turning me away, told me to pay the fine and forget about it. It went on my record, my insurance went up a bit for X years. The >80 sounds familiar too, from my convo with that lawyer.
 
yeah, your SOL if you get a ticket in VA from my understanding I've known a few people to get and have family that lives there. I don't think there is any snaking out of it, seems like one of my my friends got a reduction by by getting a lawyer and going to traffic school. But it was just that, a reduction.
 
I lived in VA and got an 82 in a 55 as my 3rd speeding ticket, i got a lawyer and got it redused to 9 over. it really depends on the judge but you do HAVE to be present in cort. I dont think he should have that much of a problem for one over reckless.
 
I got one in VA while out of town working on a Tuesday or something, 70 or so (at least, I was haluin ass) in a 55. By the time I was home on Friday, I had like 4 letters from lawyers. Called em up and the one that said he could get it taken care of without points, got paid. $250 later it was taken care of, no need to drive up there to be in court, etc.

But, laws change, so your BIL may be SOL now. Get a lawyer, raised insurance rates are a PITA
 
It's been close to 15 years but I got a ticket in Front Royal, VA it was 69 in a 45 occupied construction zone. Even though there were no workers present. It cost me a cool $1000 to get my lawyer here to get a lawyer there to get it taken care of and never heard anything again from it. As far as I know I may be a wanted man in the state of VA.

Also got a seat belt ticket at the same time.

Tell him good luck and money talks no matter what the law says.
 
I've dealt with this twice here in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia, Reckless Driving is no joke, it is NOT a traffic violation, it is a Misdemeanor crime, and if convicted, it will go on his criminal record, Tell him to get a lawyer, and get his speedo calibrated. The lawyer will in most cases be able to talk to the prosecutor and get it plead down to a traffic violation before the Judge even hears the case.

And he does have to be present on the court date, it is a criminal prosecution, Not traffic court.
 
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Hey RatLab, tell your buddy to get the vehicle calibrated, bring the calibration record, print an original driving transcript from DMV, and go to court, explain that the speedometer was "off" by what ever the calibration print out shows, DO NOT waste $500 bucks on an lawyer, they only ask the same things you could in front of the Judge anyway. the general district judge in our county, will reduce to defective equipment to keep the moving violation off the driving record, but will typically charge the same fee as what the speeding charge would have been. In the long run it will save on insurance.
 
I guess it is highly dependent on the General District Court it gets heard in. My days I spent in court each time were in Fairfax County, and both times I saw numerous people who showed up without lawyers, The first thing the Judge did in those cases was advise the person to get a lawyer, the few who declined were convicted. So it might behoove RatlLabGuy's BIL to do a bit of research on whatever court he is scheduled for to see conviction rates and and what people might say about the particular court. To me, when dealing with a Criminal offense, I'd much rather have a lawyer and not need them, than need them, and not have them.
 
85hinuff said:
Hey RatLab, tell your buddy to get the vehicle calibrated, bring the calibration record, print an original driving transcript from DMV, and go to court, explain that the speedometer was "off" by what ever the calibration print out shows, DO NOT waste $500 bucks on an lawyer, they only ask the same things you could in front of the Judge anyway. the general district judge in our county, will reduce to defective equipment to keep the moving violation off the driving record, but will typically charge the same fee as what the speeding charge would have been. In the long run it will save on insurance.
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This is what I did... back in 1998-ish. I wasn't doing >80, though.
 
That trooper must not have liked you. They got me a year ago in Carroll County, 8 miles into VA on I-77. 81 mph in a 65, speeding. Paid lawyer $200 and $50 fine for faulty equipment. No points at all, license or insurance.

Lawyer told me I would have been screwed if he wrote it as reckless driving instead. Good luck.
 
Wow, good info guys, thanks.
Honestly I'm a bit surprised he got pulled for only 11 over, especially i nan area where there is nothing out there and everybody is doing > 75 easy.
but hey speeding is speeding I suppose.
Maybe I'm crazy but it's so close to the 80mph limit it shouldn't be a stretch to plead for a reduction enough to not be criminal.

On an, er, related note - anybody have a set of 35" tires on 16" or bigger 6-lug rims that a guy in Greensboro could borrow for a test drive? :D
 
RatLabGuy said:
Wow, good info guys, thanks.
Honestly I'm a bit surprised he got pulled for only 11 over, especially i nan area where there is nothing out there and everybody is doing > 75 easy.
but hey speeding is speeding I suppose.
Maybe I'm crazy but it's so close to the 80mph limit it shouldn't be a stretch to plead for a reduction enough to not be criminal, especially if there is evidence he though he was only going say 75...

On an, er, related note - anybody have a set of 35" tires on 16" or bigger 6-lug rims that a guy in Greensboro could borrow for a test drive? :D
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My brother got a 96 in a 65 on I295 up in VA. Some asshat was tailgating him and bro got pissed and hauled ass. Funny as hell because my bro drives like a grandma. Right when he did it he passed a cop. Got the reckless thing and all. Paid a lawyer like $900 and it all went away. :lol:
 
zuke said:
I guess it is highly dependent on the General District Court it gets heard in. My days I spent in court each time were in Fairfax County, and both times I saw numerous people who showed up without lawyers, The first thing the Judge did in those cases was advise the person to get a lawyer, the few who declined were convicted. So it might behoove RatlLabGuy's BIL to do a bit of research on whatever court he is scheduled for to see conviction rates and and what people might say about the particular court. To me, when dealing with a Criminal offense, I'd much rather have a lawyer and not need them, than need them, and not have them.
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I watched a guy in Botetourt County get thrown the fawk in jail on a reckless charge. Young guy, no attorney, thought he could come in on the court day and plead it down. The judge didn't like his story. Also revoked his license for 60 days and made him go to driving school.
 
What a fawkin racket. I sure hope the rest of the US doesn't follow along with the way the Va HP operates, it also seems like they really have a hardon for out-of-staters.
 
Well... to be fair, a couple of years ago, the General Assembly cracked down on all the little speed trap towns. They had all these little towns that had annexed 500ft of a nearby interstate or state hwy just so they could park Barney out there all day writing tickets for 61 in a 55. I don't recall exactly what changed, but I know that doesn't happen anymore.

Shawn
pulled for 69 in a 65 by a VA State Trooper, let go with a verbal warning
 
Supposedly if it is off what-so-ever, the court will except it, and reduce it to defective equipment. I would not pay more than $200-250 to get a lawyer, unless his time is worth ALOT. He must have been haulin' ass if the cop wouldn't reduce to 79.
 
i got a ticket for 80 in a 65. went to court, signed up for a driver safety class. it cost about $250 all together and an 8 hour class. never went on my insurance here in nc. this was in 2006 or 07? the only tickets i have had were 1 seatbelt ticket(nc) and a tinted window ticket(va).
 
like rockcity. mailbox was full of letters. seems like i had to pay 250-350 for the attorney. then so much per mile or every 5 miles over.
 
Delaura_9 said:
Uh-oh! This is still fine and have been charged for this but time when I was caught for drunk driving was awful. I had to find a good get myself out of that situation. Then promised myself to never do this thing again. One must be always careful.
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And just what exactly would an LA DUI lawyer do for a 6 year old speeding ticket in Virginia? Get your spamming ass out of here. Reported.

Duane
 
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