Is Reckless Driving A Felony In Virginia
In most cases, reckless driving is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal offense under Virginia law. Penalties for a Virginia class 1 misdemeanor offenses may include up to one year in prison, up to $ 2,500 in fine, driver's license suspension, and six (6) points in your driver's license. Understand that in Virginia when a police officer charges you with reckless driving, it is a crime.
If you were charged with reckless driving in Virginia and your driving license was suspended or withdrawn for a traffic violation, and your reckless driving behavior caused the death of another person, then you stand to face extremely hash penalties.
For example, if the Virginia reckless driving offense was for racing, and you seriously injured someone who is not involved in the race, then you will face a felony criminal charge. Or, if the Virginia reckless driving charge was for racing and someone was killed because of the race, then again you face a felony crime.
In the first two cases, reckless driving is punishable as a Virginia Class 6 felony offense. In the event of a conviction, imprisonment of up to 12 months or imprisonment of up to five (5) years and a fine of up to $ 2,500 are the maximum proscribed penalties.
If someone is killed in a drag race, Virginia Code SS46.2-865.1 identifies this as a special crime with a sentence of one to 20 years in prison, with at least one year to serve.
You will also have your driver's license in Virginia suspended for one to three years. In the case of negligent driving, which is charged with suspending the driver's license, you may face additional days or months of driving license suspension if you are convicted.
You also have more vulnerabilities in your DMV record as well as a permanent criminal record that can affect your future. This will follow you, even if you decide to leave the state.
If you have been charged with recklessly committing a crime - especially if someone has been killed - it is important to have an experienced defense attorney in Virginia to help you manage your case and mitigate the consequences you face.
In a Virginia reckless driving case, a conviction for this offense in any way can make finding a new job, maintaining current employment, renting an apartment, or applying for a security clearance can be difficult.
In some cases, a former spouse may request changes to custody or visitation rights based on your criminal record. In addition, your car insurance premiums are likely to rise. On average, reckless operation of a motor vehicle confidence leads to a 22 percent increase in rates.
Can a Virginia reckless driving lawyer help? Simply put - yes. You should consult a Virginia Criminal lawyer experienced in defending clients in such cases and critically reviewing the evidence against you. It can make a difference between a stressful yet transient time in your life and a serious criminal conviction that can haunt you.
When hiring a VA reckless lawyer, you should always ask yourself how many cases of reckless operation of a motor vehicle and related offenses he or she has handled over the years (related cases may be DUI / DWI, aggressive driving, vehicle attack and vehicle homicide).
