The short answer – YES. Reckless driving in Virginia is a crime, and you should never go into court charged with a crime without an experienced lawyer to defend you.
Although you may not really be facing jail time with your reckless driving charge, there is ALWAYS the possibility of receiving a permanent criminal conviction on your record. Depending on the judge, prosecutor, or the mood of the officer on your court date, you could leave the courtroom with a permanent criminal record that cannot be expunged.
With the risk of receiving a permanent criminal record, why leave your reckless driving charge to chance?
Going into court with an attorney who is experienced in handling reckless driving charges will dramatically improve your chances of avoiding a permanent criminal record, a license suspension, and jail time.
As an attorney, I often receive phone calls from people who went to court by themselves in the past and were convicted of reckless driving without an attorney. They are now applying for a job as a driver, or with the government, or applying for school and the old pesky reckless driving conviction keeps popping up on their record and hurting their ability to get work. Oftentimes, these people say they didn’t realize it was a crime or that it was so serious. Or they believed the judge would cut them a break and reduce the charge to something other than reckless driving.
Unfortunately, after some time has passed, there isn’t anything they can do to clean their record, and they are stuck with a criminal conviction they tried to handle on their own.
Always speak with a lawyer on a reckless driving charge. What may be a simple fix today can be what saves you from ending up with a permanent criminal conviction that hurts you in the future.
About the Author
Criminal defense attorney Jonathan R. Oates is an experienced, aggressive, and passionate advocate and defender of his clients and their rights. He has successfully represented thousands of clients and fought hundreds of trials in front of both judges and juries. Jon takes great pride in not only fighting for his clients but also understanding them and their backgrounds and helping them achieve the best possible outcome for their case.
In his free time, Jon loves snowboarding in fresh powder, rooting for his favorite team, the Washington Wizards, and going for long hikes with his dog.
Call him today at (703) 988-3711 or (301) 840-0080 for a free consultation about your criminal case.