Since reckless driving is one of the most serious misdemeanors in North Carolina’s criminal justice system, it is important to take your case as seriously as possible and know what to expect before entering the courtroom.
Here, reckless motorists in Norfolk explain what to expect in court and why hiring a local lawyer is so important. To learn more, call us today to arrange a consultation with us or contact our legal services team at 888-437-7747.
Someone should expect the process to be streamlined, and one can expect to go to court with people who have a variety of different cases, typically dealt with in the same courtroom and under a specific order. One could wait a long time and expect a policeman who is there to explain to the judge why he is charged with reckless driving in the first place. If you go up there, you will expect him to have been there and told by a judge that you have been charged and why.
Then you have the opportunity to cross the border – investigate the policeman and try to dispel any reasonable doubt about his allegations. Then you can present your own evidence, hopefully in your favor, and then have it investigated to dispel reasonable doubt about it and the allegation.
Then the local judge decides on the sentence, and then the case is closed and the person has a moment to justify the sentence. This means that you have the opportunity to convince the judge that you will not be sentenced, which I think is a good situation.
In order to justify a conviction, people often present evidence of good character, but in the case of reckless driving, the only evidence they have is usually their own testimony. What kind of evidence you can provide depends very much on your particular situation. Sometimes the driver lets the driver, who has his vehicle with him, come to confirm his story. But let’s be unusual: in cases of “reckless” driving, typically in a case like this, only the evidence people have.
The purpose of this type of evidence is to convince the judge to see the accused as a whole and not just as a paper indictment, and thus to take into account all the positive aspects of the indictment in order to determine the appropriate sentence. This is a very important part of the court process in cases of reckless driving like this.
In many states, reckless driving (speeding) is an administrative offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and / or two years in prison. There is no “reckless driving” or even “excessive speed” in Virginia, and it is not unusual for someone to be sentenced to a few days in prison. Judges are very lenient with people charged with reckless driving, but in some states motorists are surprised and shocked to learn they face jail time for speeding on the highway or speeding. It is very important to have someone from Norfolk by your side in such cases, as each jurisdiction will vary slightly, even in Virginia. The advantage of a local lawyer is that he ideally interacts with the judge before and after the officers and builds a positive relationship. In some cases, this can hopefully lead to a slight advantage leading to better results.