Legal Question in Traffic Law in Virginia

Re: Speeding Ticket

NO! Welcome to Virginia, the nation's speed trap.

You are being charged with a CRIME -- NOT a ticket. This is "reckless driving" punishable by up to 1 year IN JAIL and a $2500 fine. Excessive? Welcome to Virginia, where silliness in pursuit of excess is no vice.

There is NOTHING you are doing on that day that is more important than going to court. Ten years from now when you are still dealing with a CRIMINAL RECORD in your life, you will wish you took two days off to go attend court.

Get a PAPER copy of your driving record. If it is really bad, throw it away and hope the prosecutor in Virginia does not get a copy. If it is reasonably good, bring the driving record to court with you.

BEFORE court starts, long before, find the prosecutor and say you are willing to plead guilty to going 79 (LESS than 80 MPH) which

would only be a "ticket" (civil fine) and NOT a misdemeanor crime. If the prosecutor does not agree, then tell the judge that you are requesting a trial, and need time to get a lawyer.

Do I need to say the obvious that you DO NOT ADMIT THAT YOU WERE GOING MORE THAN 80? And if you ADMITED that already to the police officer on the day you got the ticket, you are probably screwed. You may be down to prayer as your only option. The police officer will be able to testify that you admitted it when you were stopped.

Now, of course, if you are given jail time, you will not want to be there in Virginia. But if you are a "no show" the penality will be FAR WORSE, so it may not seem better, but it is better to show up.

Re: Speeding Ticket

You need to call the Court in Virginia and ask for an affidavit form to fill out either pleading guilty or stating why you are not. You should be able to submit that instead of appearing. If you really want to contest it, you need a Virginia lawyer.