Virginia - Reckless Driving 82/55

[uniqueme]

My fiance' just tonight got a speeding ticket on the Dulles Toll Road in Fairfax county. She was clocked at going 82.

Of course, this is reckless driving in Virginia. I know this is a serious charge, and Virginia (especially in the last couple of years) has been cracking down.

The problem is that she has a couple of speeding tickets and an HOV violation on her record. They're less likely to reduce it to simple speeding, but does anyone have any experience with this? She's a pediatrician and having her lose her license would be a burden, especially since she's on call at the hospital.

Any advice (or stories of what you might have heard of in similar circumstances) would be appreciated. I believe we'll be looking for lawyers to represent her.

[FlyingRon]

There are lawyers here that specialize in this.

How many points does she have on her license now? (when were these other violations)? Depending on where she is point wise, she probably can avoid losing the license. Further even if she is suspended, the Fairfax judges will usually issue a restricted license immediately, but she'll need to work out the exact terms, usually they require people to carry an approved work schedule so that if stopped again, the compliance can be verified.

You are right, they're not likely to reduce the charge for taking driving school, but at 82, but if she's not been to driving school in the past two years, she can probably use that to thwart suspension. On the other hand, it's a good thing she's a doctor. She's going to end up with the new Virginia fleece the criminals administrative fines of over $1000.

You can complete the VADIP course on line. Having that done prior to going to court would probably help.

[Maestro64]

You better get a traffic ticket lawyer, beside having the reckless driving charge they will see the other tickets and she will be classified a habitual offender which carries addition civil fees under the new system.

She could be in serious hurt, this is state who convicted a pregnant women under these new laws, who was just trying to get to the hospital because she thought she was giving birth.

Also, make sure you vote out anyone in your government who had anything to do with these new laws especially David Albo, the Fairfax Republican who championed this law and happens to have a law firm who does traffic ticket. You see any conflict of interest here.