Many states have laws like this, I got in the habbit of moving over lanes when approaching a cop years ago..... the punishment in VA however is ridiculous

 

hey man dont want to be the bearer of bad news, but this happened to my friend two years ago here in VA and he hired the best lawyer he could find...about 1k in lawyer fees.

He ended up going to jail for 10 months.

good luck man.....damn I hate VA.

 

so are you in jail? whats up?

 

Starts looking for place in MD

 

The story is not about me, it happened to a friend of mine. I put it up so everyone who does not know about the law will know about it. As soon as I find out what happens to him, I'll let everyone know.

 

I always move over a lane when I see a cop on the side stopped just because it seems like common sense. But sometimes...alot of times actually, you just cant move over.

But yeah Va is pretty harsh with its fines/penalties realted to driving offenses. It has led to websites like this one: http://www.virginiareckless.com/

Here is a cut/paste from another website (http://www.speedingticketcentral.com...-ticket.html):

Virgina is cracking down on excessive speeding, especially in Fairfax County on the Dulles Tollroad and Wythe County. If you are cited for 20mph over the speed limit or at a speed greater than 80mph then you may be facing the very serious charge of reckless driving. In Virginia this is a criminal violation and a mandatory court appearance. The judge has the option of fining you up to 2500 plus one year in jail. Jail time is unusual but does happen, especially if your speed exceeded 100mph. They will put you in cuffs and you will go straight to jail.

You should always contest a VA reckless driving charge. If there were no other issues during the traffic stop, most Virginia courts will reduce the violation to a simple speeding ticket. However this still carries a stiff six point count with the possibility of a major increase in you auto insurance and a fine in the neighborhood of $500. If you are a VA driver, you will be subject to the reckless driving $1050 surcharge payable to the VA DMV on top of the court fine if the judge does not reduce.

We strongly recommend that you retain a Virginia lawyer for any major speeding or traffic violation but especially if you receive a VA reckless driving or DUI citation. A Virginia attorney can represent you at your arraignment and can usually negotiate for you so you do not have to appear in court. No one can guarantee what will happen in court and we cannot guarantee that you will be satisfied with representation from the Virginia attorneys we recommend. However, we have verified each firms reputation and have received positive feedback.

 

Dude, you are fine and I would not stress out about this. As a matter of fact if you want a really good lawyer and you recieved the ticket in fairfax county PM me and I will give you the number to my lawyer. Very connected. Charges will be dismissed garunteed. I personally think you could fight this on your own but to be safe I would get the lawyer.


BTW: Didnt realize Im under my buddies login here.

- projectsherv