Q: Caught speeding in Virginia, got a reckless driving charge...should I worry about jail time?
So, on Christmas Eve, I was caught speeding. He said I was going 81 in a 45, but I THOUGHT I was going 70 TOPS in a 55. That doesn't make it right, but I genuinely had no idea I was going that fast or that the limit was so low.
He wrote me a ticket for reckless driving. It was on the Parkway, so it was a federal ticket and I have to appear at a US district court.
He did ask if I'd been drinking (I hadn't!) or if it was just my perfume he was smelling, then asked me to hold out my arm so he could smell it. I hadn't a drop.
He also asked why I was speeding, and I said it was X-Mas Eve and I was in a rush to see family. I still can't believe I was going 81, but I have no reason to doubt him. I was very polite and even thanked him when he gave me the ticket!
This was my first time being pulled over at 22. Spotless driving and criminal record. I'll be consulting with/hiring a lawyer soon, but in the meantime...is jail a possibility, here?
A: Jail is very unlikely. However, if the reckless driving charge (a criminal misdemeanor) is not reduced to a traffic infraction, it could cost you major dollars in an insurance increase for the next 3 to 5 years. You should also check with the NC DMV to learn what they will may do if you are so convicted.
Matthew Lane Kreitzer agrees with this answer
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