Speeding Ticket in VA.

[refaller]

Not me- I am slow. A friend of mine got a speeding ticket in VA for going 81 in a 70mph zone. He was going to pay it, but found out that it is a misdemeanor charge- not something he wants on his record. Should he go fight it (we live 6 hours away) or should he hire a lawyer to fight it for him. Any Virginians who could help would be appreciated. Sadly, he was traveling to Florida to get married. Nice wedding gift.

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[Rhymingmechanic]

I can't be of any help, but I do know that 80 and up is a reckless driving charge in VA. That was emphasized on the news around here when some roads were raised from 70 to 75, so people wouldn't still think they could get away with the customary 10 mph over.

 

[fsdork]

I'm not sure about VA specifically, but pleading to a lesser charge (one that isn't a misdemeanor) might be an option. If so, it is probably a better plan than rolling the dice and hoping the officer doesn't show to court. If he/she shows, the ticket will most likely stick.

 

[Virtuoso]

Wow.. 11mph over a misdemeanor? That's going a bit far me thinks.

A lawyer might be in order here.

 

[VK56VD]

Find a good lawyer in VA and have him go to court on your friends behalf. The charge will most likely get reduced to something with 0 points but he may still need to pay some kind of a fine to a lesser charge. I'm pretty sure he'll be okay, especially if he has a clean driving record.

 

[sciphi]

Tell your friend to get a lawyer. Pay their fee and pay the higher fine for a reduced charge now instead of having that charge coming back to bite him later.

It's much cheaper in the long run to reduce the charge, even if the fine is higher now. Insurance will be cheaper, and he won't have that charge on his record that could affect future employment opportunities.

 

[PandaBear]

I second finding a lawyer, their traffic law is wicked and I was basically told that I couldn't go to traffic school to get it off when I got a speeding ticket there (65 in a 55 zone on a major highway, 5 miles more would be reckless driving).

 

[JHZR2]

It's pretty easy... 70 MPH is pretty fast. Dont go over the limit. It's against the law and ruins fuel economy. If geting to FL so fast was a priority, he should have flown.

Would I go take care of it in person? Likely yes. With a lawyer most likely. There really is no excuse, so one needs to know the right words to say to get it so that it does not create insurance havoc.

 

[TTK]

VA Highway Police ... I try my best to avoid. Don't even travel 70 on VA interstates..set the cruise on 65. In VA they create these burms between the north/south/east/west where they can hide and you cannot see them until it is too late. VA is serious about patrolling the highways.

 

[refaller]

I told him it would've been easier to use my 70mph technique as well. In his defense, it was his now wife's car and it doesn't have cruise control. I didn't have my foot on the pedal for hundreds of miles.

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[bigmike]

Sounds to me like the cop was taking his job too seriously. I mean, couldn't he cut him a break and give him a ticket for 79MPH instead? That's customary around here. Maybe out of state travelers don't receive any courtesy? Besides, that law is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Assuming your friend was guilty, the right thing to do is to pay the ticket and learn from the consequences.

He broke the law, he was caught, and even though he may not agree with the law he needs to man up and do the right thing rather than try to hide behind a lawyer.

Maybe next time he'll pay more attention to his driving.

 

[Virtuoso]

I agree he broke the law.. but I don't agree that a simple 11 over should be a misdemeanor. That's just crazy.

The court system gives us the option for legal representation for a reason. Why should he not use one? He will still pay some sort of a price (plus the lawyer fee's). Use the tools at your disposal.

 

[Nick R]

11 over a misdemeanor charge? Wow that is borderline draconian. I can understand ticket fine and points, but a criminal offense? That's crazy. If they implemented that law here most of new York would be criminals by the end of the year..

 

[oldmaninsc]

Originally Posted By: Nick R

11 over a misdemeanor charge? Wow that is borderline draconian. I can understand ticket fine and points, but a criminal offense? That's crazy. If they implemented that law here most of new York would be criminals by the end of the year..


I agree. That's crazy. And people think the police in Ca. are bad!

 

[addyguy]

If he doesn't live in that jurisdiction, what are the implications of just NOT paying it?

If he doesn't plan on going back, it won't catch up to him.....

 

[OilNerd]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
If he doesn't live in that jurisdiction, what are the implications of just NOT paying it?

If he doesn't plan on going back, it won't catch up to him.....


Bad idea. Most states are parties to the Non-Resident Violator Compact. This could lead to suspension in his home state.

 

[addyguy]

Ah, fair enough - good to know!

 

[bladecutter]

And on top of that, an arrest warrant will be released.
If he gets pulled over again in Virginia, he will be arrested on the spot.

If a bounty hunter picks up the warrant, he can be dragged from his home state to Virgina at a most inopportune time in his life.

Just a bad, bad, bad idea to ignore a traffic ticket.

But yes, get a lawyer, and fight the ticket, to prevent having a misdemeanor on your record. You never know if the company you currently work for has an HR policy to fire any employees that have criminal records, until its too late. I've seen other people suffer that fate.

BC.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Tell your friend to google "virginia traffic laws reckless driving." There appears to be a cottage industry devoted to fighting these tickets. Reckless driving is indeed a class I criminal misdemeanor, just like a DUI, and is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2500 fine.

Again, 80 mph is the cutoff point for reckless. You can be doing just 6 over in a 75 zone and you still qualify.

Yes, the highway patrol does hide in those median turnarounds. My take on I-95 is that there's too much traffic to be doing 80 plus anyway.