If you are convicted of a reckless driving offense in Leesburg, you will be punished accordingly as it is a Class 1 misdemeanor offense. Like all class 1 misdemeanor offenses, reckless driving is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2500 fine or a combination thereof. As a special condition, reckless driving convictions may also result in a loss of your Virginia license or your ability to drive in Virginia if you are an out of state driver for up to 6 months.
If you are found guilty of reckless driving in Virginia, you will receive 6 demerit points for a period of 11 years. If you are an out-of-state driver and you receive a reckless driving conviction, you may receive points depending on how your home state views your Virginia record. Other states may not assess points and this varies from state to state and is offense specific.
The short-term implications of a reckless driving conviction are:
However, there are also long-term implications from these convictions. The most apparent of these are negative points on your Virginia DMV record, which may then accumulate and lead to a Virginia DMV administrative license suspension. There is also the potential for a negative impact on insurance rates.
If you are an out of state driver, Virginia can only suspend your privilege to operate in Virginia. Virginia courts cannot physically take your out-of-state license the way they can with a Virginia licensed driver. However your home state may have additional consequences for you. These out-of-state consequences may happen as follows.
First, the Loudoun County General District Court in Leesburg, will notify the Virginia DMV of the conviction. The Virginia DMV, through the interstate compact, will then let your home state know that you have received a reckless driving conviction in Virginia. The home state will then apply points or other penalties if your home state chooses to do so.
Different states have different laws and different requirements regarding what they want to see before they institute their own penalties. It varies widely state by state.
If you are an out of state driver and you have been charged with reckless driving offense in Leesburg, contacting an experienced Leesburg reckless driving attorney right away and discussing the facts of your case is the best way to determine whether you need to appear for your court date.
In most cases, it a good idea for you to appear in court. The reasons for this are that it is easy for your attorney to communicate with you if you are physically there on the day of court. Furthermore, you may receive additional consideration if you make the effort to appear.
Northern Virginia Criminal Defense Group
