PRINCE WILLIAM TRAFFIC LAWYER

Let us fight your traffic ticket in Prince William County court. As a Prince William traffic lawyer, have defended multiple types of traffic violations, I can fight your traffic tickets in court. 

read below penalties and strategies of criminal and traffic tickets defense

List of Different Virginia Traffic Tickets we Defend in Court

Prince William County has many drivers and is often ranked as one of the worst places to drive in America. 

Because of the great number of drivers on the roads, it is easy to get into some sort of traffic violation in Prince William County. 

The experienced Prince William traffic lawyers at American Lawyers Group can help reduce the penalties or get rid of charges of Prince William traffic violations.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving in Virginia is defined in §46.2-852 as any driving that can endanger the life, limb, or property of another. 

Witness testimony of erratic driving can be enough to establish that a driver was driving recklessly.  Additionally, police can examine patterns of damage to determine recklessness. 

Lastly, charges can be pressed on an injured person for reckless driving, even if they are the only person affected.

In Virginia, there are other ways for the prosecution to convict you for reckless driving besides showing danger to life, limb, or property.

A driver going 20 miles per hour above the posted speed limit can be charged with reckless driving, even if there were no other threats to life, limb, or property. 

Virginia can also charge you for reckless driving for driving at an unreasonable speed. 

This will largely be up to the officer who pulled you over and the court on the day you appear. 

If you have questions about what constitutes reckless driving, call the attorneys at American Lawyers Group.  

Police do have broad discretion over how to charge someone they have pulled over. 

Based on your previous traffic offenses, they could charge you with a lesser offense or the strictest possible offense.

One of the more well-known reckless driving laws in Virginia is that going above 80 miles per hour anywhere is reckless driving. 

The posted speed limit where the offense occurred is irrelevant. 

There are many lesser-known infractions that can be reckless driving. 

For example, failing to yield when merging onto a highway is reckless driving. 

Driving past a stopped school bus with its “STOP” sign out can also be charged as reckless driving. 

Driving with faulty brakes can be prosecuted as reckless driving in Virginia.

Prince William DUI/DWI

Virginia has driven while intoxicated laws rather than driving under the influence laws. 

These are the same thing, but because more people know what a DUI is, this section will use the term DUI. 

In Virginia, DUIs are considered misdemeanors for the first two charges.  Your third DUI is charged as a felony.

Felony DUI charges carry stricter sentences than their misdemeanor counterparts. 

For example, a misdemeanor DUI can be punished with up to a year in jail, but a felony DUI can result in up to 5 years in jail. 

The less severe penalties for DUI convictions will also be slightly different based on your blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of your arrest. 

ABAC between .15% and .20% for a first-time offense will result in a mandatory minimum of five days in jail on top of other penalties. 

The same BAC in a repeated offense within 10 years will result in 10 days in jail in addition to other penalties.

If your BAC is in excess of .20% when arrested, you will face a minimum of ten days in jail. 

A second DUI offense in the span of ten years with a BAC higher than .20% will land you in jail for at least 20 days.

Virginia’s drinking and driving laws are, needless to say, much stricter for those under the legal drinking age. 

If you are below the age of 21, a BAC higher than .02% will lead to a DUI.  A DUI offense for people below the age of 21 is a class 1 misdemeanor with heightened penalties. 

Underage DUIs result in the automatic suspension of your driver’s license for one year as well as fines of at least $500 or 50 hours of community service.

Driving Without a License

Under §46.2-300, it is a class 2 misdemeanor in Virginia to drive without a license. 

A conviction under  §46.2-300 will cost you your driving privileges for a maximum of 90 days. 

Repeated violations of  §46.2-300 are class 1 misdemeanors.

Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license is a class 1 misdemeanor under  §46.2-301. 

This same section of Virginia law gives Virginia the power to impound your vehicle. 

The costs and fees of the impoundment fall on the offender. 

However, §46.2-300 denies Virginia the power to impound the vehicle if that vehicle is not yours.

If you are facing Prince William County charges of driving without a license contact the Prince William Traffic Lawyer at American Lawyers Group.

Why You Need a Prince William Traffic Lawyer?

Prince William Traffic violations can create major problems in life. 

They result in large fines, increased insurance costs, and even cost you your driver’s license. 

The more serious offenses, like reckless driving and a DWI, can lead to jail time in addition to the other consequences. 

To best defend from Prince William Traffic charges, contact the experienced Prince William Traffic Lawyer at American Lawyers Group.