So I got a reckless driving ticket (87 in a 65) on rt 66 in Prince William County. The cop was cool about it and gave me the ticket and the court date and said he would try to help me out since I was cooperative and polite during the stop. He also said that some judges in that county dont mind sending people to jail for excessive speeding, not cool. This is the 1st speeding ticket I've gotten in 7 years and I plan to bring in a transcript from my DMV to show the judge that I've been out of trouble. Other than that does anyone have any advice?

 

Senior User: 65 means 65, lol. I like your avatar, was that your reaction when you got the ticket?

 

Thank the nice man

 

You could always go off on them by sending them the torn up ticket by mail while telling them what to do with them yankee laws up there, JUST KIDDING- lol.
The Judge and JuryWV/VA style...

 

Thats TWO counts of reckless- 20 over the limit, and over 80 regardless. Hire a lawyer, get your driving transcript, and an affadavit from your employer saying you need to drive for your work- preferably something saying you need to work weekends.

The latter two, plus a lawyer, got me 90 days restricted (driver's license became a pink court order) and a huge fine in Fairfax County many years ago, and they've only gotten tougher (Smooth Operator, etc.). Back then I think VA judges could waive points, but not anymore, I think. All up to the DMV. So you're also looking at points. Person on trial before me got taken to jail for reckless- just before his senior finals (didn't graduate on time because of it), and a friend of mine got their license revoked for reckless.

If the cop says he'll be nice, it's only if he remembers, and it only matters if the judge is feeling nice. If the cop really wanted to give you a break, he would have written you up for 79mph, which isn't reckless in a 65 zone.

So be on your best behavior, hire a lawyer, and sign up for a VA-approved driver improvement class, so you can show your registration paper to the judge. And wear a suit. It really helps if you look respectful and respectable.

 

I was pretty shocked but it didnt sink in til the next day. I figured I'll just get a big fine and points but ever since I got it all I've been hearing about is jail time. I guess they're a hell of a lot tougher in Virginia than West Virginia

 

Thank you for your kindness For some dumb reason I thought you were talking about Maryland, hence the Yankee comment. Now that I have made a fool of myself, I'm going to crawl back under my truck.

 

DC, Maryland and VA began imposing increasingly huge penalties since about 2000 to try and curb insane drivers. I still get passed all the time by 5-10mph, but it's been years since I've gotten my doors blown off (except in PG County, MD, where the police are distracted by more serious crimes). VA police are especially intolerant of out-of-state drivers.

 

Update: Went into court in my suit and pled guilty, showed the substitute judge my clean driving transcript and he knocked it down to speeding. $100 fine and no record. Everybody with a lawyer ended up with a $300-$500 fine, restricted license for 3 months and 30 days suspended jail time. The lawyers worked out deals with the commonwealth attorney before the judge even showed up and they got screwed over big time for it. I got real lucky and dont plan on speeding ever again

 

Yes, you really were lucky. Count your blessings, and keep your promise.

 

Suffering succotash! That's exactly what happened to me! $300 fine, "suspended jail time", 90 days restricted. Plus $700 to the lawyer. Fortunately, I didn't get any points on my record; it must have been reduced. I don't speed anymore, though.

"Substitute judge"? Maybe you got lucky.

I'm considering getting an inexpensive (non-ABA) law degree in the future so I can keep this kind of doodie from happening to me and my family.

 

Yeah there were some kind of state meetings that my judge went to that week so we had a substitute judge that was taking it easy on just about everyone. Very lucky. I heard the prosecutor tell one lawyer that everyone with a reckless driving ticket should spend at least one night in jail.

 

I know this thread is kind of old but I just found it. Speaking from a police point of view, your best bet is to be cooperative when you get stopped just like you did. Argumentative attitudes just doom you anyways. If you are wrong, just take the ticket and go on your way. You'll find police officers much more willing to help you out if you are polite and cooperative and admit what you did. As soon as the officer releases you from the stop, he/she makes notes about the stop, what you said, etc. for use in courtroom testimony. The officer shouldn't reduce the ticket from the speed at which he observed you. If he reduces it on the ticket, he cannot testify under oath that he observed you at that speed. The only thing he can testify to is the speed he observed. Now, if he observed you increasing speed like say 65 to 78 and observed that reading on the radar, he can write you at any of the speeds he observed while observing you. It is all pretty complicated. A few tips:
1) Be polite and courteous.
2) If you are stopped, keep your hands on the wheel and your seatbelt on until the officer makes contact with you. Avoid a seatbelt ticket.
3) Admit your mistake. This may not get you out of the ticket but will be in your favor with the officer. Don't make stuff up like "I have to go to the bathroom", etc. We've heard it all and none of it usually works anyway.
4) Before going to court, get your speedometer calibrated and if it is off in your favor, take it to court with you. Also, get the speedo error fixed before court and take the receipt with you. It shows you are proactive and tried to fix the problem without having to be told to by the judge.
5) If the ticket is for a really excessive speed (80+), try to enroll in a driver improvement school before the court date. Again - proactive and showing responsibility.
6) Always wear a suit and tie. When you dress appropriately, the judge and Commonwealth Attorney tend to take you more seriously and consider you less of a pushover.
7) Ask to see the certified calibration of the radar tuning forks and the patrol vehicle speedometer (if the ticket was moving radar - meaning the patrol car was moving when the officer observed you.)
8) Check to see if the serial numbers on the tuning forks match the tuning forks for that radar unit.
9) Get a copy of your DMV driver transcript and if it is good and you don't have a lot of point accumulation and low or no violations, take it to court with you.

I can't promise you this will get you out of a ticket in court but every little bit helps. I've written more than my fair share of tickets over the years but I also know how to use discretion too. Anything in excess of 80 MPH is reckless driving by speed in VA. It is a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail and/or up to a $2500 fine. I teach radar at the academy and have for several years. Take this for what it's worth and just be careful out there.

 

Have any of you guys tried that GPS program that alerts you to speed traps. looks interesting. I was thinking of trying out phantom alert. anyone with personal experience in here?

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