Charged with a misdemeanor - Speed Contest

[thehin]

New York, Suffolk County - I was driving on a 2 lane road at about 1am. I was going at about 70MPH in a 45, and i notice a car approaching me rapidly behind me. The car attempts to pass me by accelerating. In the mean time i pass an officer parked in a parking lot and slow down. The officer turns his lights on and pulls me over and charges me with a misdemeanor for a speed contest and the other vehicle goes free. I have a court date at the Suffolk County 1st District Court. Will I go to jail, do i need an attorney, can i get one for free, im 18, that was my first ticket ever what is the possible outcome of this.

 

[qcxlvr1]

New York, Suffolk County - I was driving on a 2 lane road at about 1am. I was going at about 70MPH in a 45, and i notice a car approaching me rapidly behind me. The car attempts to pass me by accelerating. In the mean time i pass an officer parked in a parking lot and slow down. The officer turns his lights on and pulls me over and charges me with a misdemeanor for a speed contest and the other vehicle goes free. I have a court date at the Suffolk County 1st District Court. Will I go to jail, do i need an attorney, can i get one for free, im 18, that was my first ticket ever what is the possible outcome of this.

Yes, you do need an attorney who specializes in Criminal Law. A conviction of VTL 1182 (speed contest) results in a mandatory suspension and since it is a misdemeanor, a criminal record. The good side is that this is an VERY hard charge to prove and the attorney who you hire (if he knows what he is doing) will know how to get the charge completely thrown out.

So, hire the right person and I really wouldn't worry about it. Convictions for this offense are rare in New York.

 

[thehin]

I am scared

I am 18, i dont know what to do, the truth of the matter was i wasn't in a speed contest i was just going 70MPH and i guess since i was driving an Infiniti G35 Coupe the car behind me thought i would race, but as soon as i saw that cop i slowed down thats why i was caught and he wasnt. I just want to know what are the chances that i go to jail or get a criminal record?

 

[qcxlvr1]

I am 18, i dont know what to do, the truth of the matter was i wasn't in a speed contest i was just going 70MPH and i guess since i was driving an Infiniti G35 Coupe the car behind me thought i would race, but as soon as i saw that cop i slowed down thats why i was caught and he wasnt. I just want to know what are the chances that i go to jail or get a criminal record?

If you show up at First District they're probably going to send you home if you don't have an attorney. So, I advise you to get an attorney specializing in this sort of thing. He or she will put the not guilty plea on file and take care of it. Whatever you do, don't ignore the ticket because it will turn into a warrant and your license will become suspended.

 

[thehin]

Lawyers

Who should i call what should i do, will i have a criminal record or go to jail?

 

[qcxlvr1]

Well, obviously you can not have a criminal record or go to jail without first being convicted of the offense. Being charged with something is merely an allegation.

There are a number of attorneys on Long Island who do this sort of thing. Do a search on google for traffic or criminal attorneys in Long Island. Call a few and see who you like the best or who sounds most experienced. It's probably not going to be cheap, but as I said, a person with proper representation is rarely convicted of this offense.

 

[thehin]

Contact?

Is there any other way i can contact you like MSN, YAHOO, or AIM?

 

[qcxlvr1]

Is there any other way i can contact you like MSN, YAHOO, or AIM?

Yes, but I can't post my e-mail or screen name on a public forum and there appears to be no private message function here. If you are willing to post an email, I can send you a screen name that way.

 

[thehin]

email

[email protected]