Spotsylvania County General District Court
9111 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA 22553
Telephone: 540-507-7680
Attorney Yeargan regularly appears in the traffic courts of Spotsylvania County to help clients charged with traffic infractions and the misdemeanor offense of Reckless Driving. The county gets a large number of Reckless Driving cases from Interstate 95 traffic. The charge is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and may result in a criminal conviction, large fines, license suspension and even jail time. The maximum punishment for the charge is up to 12 months in jail, loss of license for up to six months, and/or a fine up to $2,500.00.
Reckless Driving by Speed in Virginia may be charged when a driver speeds 20 miles or more over the speed limit or drives 85 miles per hour or more. The prosecutor (called a Commonwealth Attorney) is not involved in most Reckless Driving tickets in this county. The case is resolved between the Defendant, Police Officer, and Judge hearing the case.
The law office tries to help clients get the Reckless Driving ticket dismissed or reduced to a traffic infraction. Traffic infractions are non-criminal in nature and carry only a fine. Typically, the law office seeks to get it amended to Improper Driving. The maximum fine for this charge is $500.00.
Clients charged in this county are advised to prepare before court by completing a Virginia approved eight hour driver improvement course. In high speed cases over 90 miles per hour, an additional Reckless Driving four hour course called RADEP is recommended. Depending on the circumstances of the traffic stop and the driving record, Attorney Yeargan may also recommend completion of community service hours.
For clients with older model vehicles, a speedometer calibration of the car may be helpful to mitigate the speed. Attorney Yeargan can recommend a reputable local mechanic shop that does quality work. They will provide a notarized statement that may be presented in court to help get the charge reduced to a lesser offense.
Reckless Driving is quite serious because it may affect employment opportunities, security clearances, immigration status, etc. Getting the charge amended to a traffic infraction, if possible, should be the client's primary objective.
In many cases, the lawyer may handle the case in the client's absence without them having to come to court. In higher speed cases, the client must appear. Each case is different. The law office suggest that you reach out for advice to a qualified lawyer experienced in this county.
Drivers with tickets at speeds 100 miles per hour or more may be ordered into a new program called the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program. The program requires that the driver install a speed monitoring device in the vehicle for a period of time. This program has a cost for installation and monthly service of the device. The driver's license will then be suspended by the DMV, and they will be issued a restricted license. It is important that drivers in this situation avoid being ordered into this program, if possible.
There are technical defenses to the charge of Reckless Driving by Speed, which include the officer's calibration of their radar or laser speed equipment. Radar or LIDAR devices must be properly calibrated every six months under Virginia law. Attorney Yeargan has won cases at trial in this county because of this issue.
Other possible defenses to the charge include the police forgetting to check their speed equipment before and after their shift, the officers ability to observe the suspect vehicle due to weather or traffic conditions, and the officer's failure to testify as to the proper venue or location of the offense.
If you need quality legal help with your Reckless Driving case in Spotsylvania County, call the law office for a free consultation over the telephone. The lawyer will personally walk you through your case, and provide solid advice on what to do to prepare for court. With 27 years of experience handling thousands of Reckless Driving cases, he will help you achieve the best outcome for your case. His law office may be reached at 703-352-9044.