court summon reckless driving

[ghostlanddude]

i'm from virginia and i recently was pulled over for doing 78 in a 55. it didn't seem like i was going that fast because i was going just barely over the limit about 10 seconds before that, i was doing at most 57. i was in the left lane, there was a red truck in the right lane ahead of me traveling pretty fast, and was slowly getting further and further ahead of me. there was also a truck behind me and a car behind and to the right of me. i had just came down a hill and was on a straight stretch so i might have accelerated a little bit, but it wasn't much. i was going about my business when a cop from the other side of the road turned made a U turn and came for me. he pulled me over and told me that he had me clocked at 78. i was astonished at how fast he had clocked me. he asked me why i was going that fast and i told him i didn't think i was going that fast, that i didn't know why i was going that fast. he wrote me a court summon. i was just wondering what i should do. should i fight it or what? this is my first offense and i am under 18.

 

[FlyingRon]

I was just wondering what i should do. should i fight it or what? this is my first offense and i am under 18.

Reckless driving in VA is a serious charge. Nothing you have said will wash as a defense. "Thinking" isn't as convincing as the cop's observation of your speed. The fact that others were moving faster is not a defense. The fact that you were going down hill after already ADMITTING that you were going faster than the limit is pretty telling.

Reckless is always a mandatory court appearance. Since you're under 18, it's a mandatory appearance by you an a parent in JDR court. If your record is clean, your best bet is to talk to the Commonwealth's attorney and plead the case down to careless driving in exchange for going to traffic school (which the DMV is going to make you do anyway). Since you are under 20, you will need to go to a real live (all day) traffic school (older folks can do it online). Unless you have a sympathetic judge and you are real close to 18, one of your parents will also have to go with you to traffic school (at least they get 5 good points for doing so).