reckless driving ticket for out of state driver (airport, car)

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by kaylau30

I received a reckless driving summons in July 2016. My court date was in September 2016. However, I live in New York and am a full time student. I wrote a request for an adjournment, in which I was granted for today. Although I missed lectures during the last week of classes, I couldn't afford being tried in my absence. I brought a copy of my clean NYS driving record with me to court. I appeared in front of the judge, without a lawyer, and pleaded no contest. The judge allowed me to speak in which I said I received the summons on my way to SC. My aunt had been driving the whole night and I took over. I didn't realize the speed limits changes very quickly on 1-95. I then told him I brought a copy of my driving record, in which he was very impressed. He saw my clean record and my letter stating I am a student. The judge then knocked down my possible $2,500 fine to $100 (excess speed 1-9 mph). He said if he decided to convict me, I would lose my New York license, however I was respectful and compliant and he didn't want me to have trouble with future employment and school issues. I would advise to bring a copy of your record, be honest and respectful to judge, he's the only one that can help you.

While it certainly worked well for you the part I put in bold is not entirely true. In Virginia the commonwealth attorney has the final say on what is prosecuted in court. If they make a recommendation to a judge on a charge and the judge refuses to accept it the CA can dismiss or NP a charge and the judge can do nothing about it. The CA most certainly can do a lot for someone charged with RD.

[runzwithsizorz]

Originally Posted by kaylau30

I received a reckless driving summons in July 2016. My court date was in September 2016. However, I live in New York and am a full time student. I wrote a request for an adjournment, in which I was granted for today. Although I missed lectures during the last week of classes, I couldn't afford being tried in my absence. I brought a copy of my clean NYS driving record with me to court. I appeared in front of the judge, without a lawyer, and pleaded no contest. **The judge allowed me to speak** in which I said I received the summons on my way to SC. My aunt had been driving the whole night and I took over. I didn't realize the speed limits changes very quickly on 1-95. I then told him I brought a copy of my driving record, in which he was very impressed. He saw my clean record and my letter stating I am a student. The judge then knocked down my possible $2,500 fine to $100 (excess speed 1-9 mph). He said if he decided to convict me, I would lose my New York license, however I was respectful and compliant and he didn't want me to have trouble with future employment and school issues. I would advise to bring a copy of your record, be honest and respectful to judge, he's the only one that can help you.

The judge allowed you to speak???? this is almost unheard of now days! They only want to hear two things from you when pleading, -- guilty, or not guilty, period! And BTW, the judge already had your driving record in front of him. If a judge allowed everyone pleading guilty to offer up an explanation, or sob story it could cost around a $1000 a day. Look at the fifty people behind you with money, the judge has to get to them too. So lets move it, move it, move it. And if you do plead not guilty and prove that you were NOT having a bad hair day as charged, you will STILL be fined $70, so lets move it, move it, move it.

[rnanjala]

I got a reckless ticket this morning. I was starting to work and approaching the signal at my neighborhood entrance and saw the green light. I tried to accelerate but didn't realize I was speeding @46 miles per hour and it's a 25 mile zone. Cop stopped me and gave me reckless driving ticket because i was @46 in 25 mile zone just in front of the signal. The reason fro that speed is, usually I drive a prius C and my other car is big SUV(GL 450) which don't have too much of pickup. I gave my SUV to the service and they gave me a loaner car which a smaller one with power and I didn't expect that to accelerate car too much. I tried to explain to the cop so that she can reduce the number from 21 to some thing like 17/18 so that I can avoid a reckless driving. However she was not ready to listen and wrote reckless in the citation.

I didn't have any speeding ticket at all in my driving history(9 years), my last traffic violation was back in 2009 for a no U turn. Can you guys suggest what exactly I should do now. I don't want to see Reckless Driving in my driving records.

[Nnnnbaaaakkkkaa]

Got a ticket in va with my nh drivers license while I was moving to Florida my court date hasn't happened yet but I got my new license in Florida so everything on the ticket is from my old nh liscense will anything happen if I don't go to court since I already got a new license?

[Bigfoot424]

Are you serious? It doesn't go away just because you've moved and changed your license. Ignore it and you'll pay a lot more in the long run to include getting your ability to drive in VA suspended and Florida is a reciprocating state so you could see a suspension there as well until the VA issue is fixed. If it was a reckless driving ticket you might see a capias issued for your arrest. While it won't be served in Fla you'd better hope you're not stopped driving back thru VA.


If I'm misunderstanding I apologize but it sure reads a certain way to me.

[Nnnnbaaaakkkkaa]

Well I don't ever plan on going back thru va that state is wack when I talked to the lawyer today he said since I already changed my liscense I can choose to not go and jus never drive they va again which is fine with me

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Nnnnbaaaakkkkaa

Well I don't ever plan on going back thru va that state is wack when I talked to the lawyer today he said since I already changed my liscense I can choose to not go and jus never drive they va again which is fine with me

Get back on here in a year and tell me how that goes. Also, check your Fla license in 6 months and see if they've suspended it for fail to pay fines in VA. Your lawyer sounds like a d**ba*s.

[hem78]

hi guys
i got reckless driving ticket in VA when i pass through on I81 s from NJ to NC. i got ticket 89/70. This is my first time experience and i don't know what i have to do.
Is there is necessary to appear in court. I live in NC 3 hrs far from court location.
I read online to many explanation about reckless driving and its scare me. I never have Ticket before i had NC driving license from 2 yrs with clean record.
Is i have to hire lawyer or its good if i handle byself ?
i called some lawyer but they charge me about $800 to $ 1500

is anybody can advise me what i do ?

[Bigfoot424]

You didn't say where. I 81 is a long road. Keep calling attorneys and tell them you just want a deal made to avoid coming to court. Should be more than 500.00. Unless you want to come to court of course and fight this. Then expect to pay what you listed for an attorney. You can try and deal yourself but that doesn't always work out well.

[John Smyth]

Those commenting in forums like these claiming that you must get lawyer for a reckless driving (speeding) citation in Virginia to avoid jail-time, loosing your license, misdemeanor conviction, etc. are most likely petty lawyers just trying to drum up business to keep their binge-drinking fat asses afloat. Note: potentially do need a lawyer if you were speeding 30mph over or 100+

I am a Nashville, TN resident. I recently received a reckless driving ticket for speeding 90 in a 70 on I-81 in Smyth County, VA. Two days after returning home, I received approximately 10 mailings from greedy little blood sucking attorneys. This provoked my curiosity.

I hopped online and began reading bombastic comments in forums such as this, which claim that someone in my situation would likely face fines, jail, loosing my license, misdemeanor conviction, etc. Most comments also claim that this is a certainty in VA, if you do not obtain a lawyer (cost: $500 - $1,000). These are the same claims outlined in correspondence from the lawyers. Being spooked, I began researching the attorneys that mailed me. I found out that only one of the attorneys who mailed me was located in that town, and a majority of the others were not even located with 100 miles of the town. Some of them even went so far as to list a P.O. Box in Smyth County as a satellite office address.

Encouraged by the comments of individuals who have actually gone to court without a lawyer in Virginia (which get buried by these fear mongers) and the fact that I never actually found one firsthand comment stating that someone had appeared in court without a lawyer and received jail-time, loosing out of state license, or misdemeanor conviction, I chose to go it alone. So, I traveled from Nashville to Smyth County, VA, yesterday. The first thing I noticed while driving through VA and Smyth County is that while truckers and TN/KY residents were very closely following the speed limit (due to the reputation), at least half of VA residents were running 80 - 100mph passing us by. When I got to court in this tiny little town on I-85 there were about 50 speeders (almost all given reckless driving), and all but 7 were out-of-state residents (were required to state city and state, among other things, as we approach the bench in assembly-line style). Approximately 30% showed up for the arraignment with a lawyer. Every single one of us received approximately the same deal: plead no contest or guilty, submit driving record (supposed to be clean but one had 2 speeding tickets and the judge still let it fly), go to an in-person traffic school (can be out of state) and submit the certificate, pay varying fine depending on speed, and receive a regular speeding ticket with speed reduced by 5 mph. There was one TN girl who had over 100 mph, and her only additional requirement was that her license was not valid to drive in VA for 30 days. The only "advantage" to having a lawyer was that those with a lawyer got to go first, and were, therefore, not in the court room to see the rest of us receive the exact same deals.

My advice would be to go to the arraignment (first appearance is not a trial) without an attorney (unless you are 30mph over, 100+). First, try to speak with the district attorney and/or officer to ask them to drop the reckless driving in exchange for no contest plea, traffic school, or other requirements. My district attorney politely said that she could not work out a deal for anything 90+, and I would have to ask the judge. When you approach the judge for your plea, ask him if you could respectfully have the reckless driving reduced in exchange for a "no contest" plea (not admitting guilt) to a lesser offense and additional requirements, such as driving school. Take your driving record with you (if you have offenses, only show it if they ask). If you are unsuccessful in getting the reckless driving reduced, say "I respectfully request to have this matter continued so that I may obtain an attorney for representation." If they require you to enter a plea, plead not guilty. Dress in the nicest thing you have in your closet and be respectful!