TRAFFIC LAW ATTORNEYS IN DINWIDDIE COUNTY, VIRGINIA

Experienced Traffic Law Attorneys

John B. Chappell, Attorney at Law has handled traffic cases for more than 30 years. We cover Dinwiddie County regularly and seldom go to any other traffic court. The Dinwiddie traffic court is one day per week and our attorneys go virtually every time court is in session. The Judge calls and hears every case. When we are in court to handle our own cases, we listen to other cases to better learn what the Judge is willing or not willing to do in a given situation. In that way, we can give you the best and most realistic advice about your case and what can be accomplished for you.

Consequences of a Traffic Ticket

When you get a traffic ticket, it is not always as simple as paying the fine and never having to worry about it again. Speeding tickets and other moving violations, whether you are licensed in Virginia or another state, can have adverse consequences resulting in points against your license, serious insurance consequences, and in some circumstances, license suspension or jail time.

In Virginia, speeding more than 20 miles per hour (MPH) over the limit or any speed over 85 MPH can be written as reckless driving, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor. Other types of tickets that are considered reckless driving include failure to maintain control, improper brakes, failure to yield to the right-of-way, failure to move over, and driving too fast for roadway conditions. Some reckless driving convictions, such as those for traveling 100 MPH or higher (or 30 MPH or More Over the Limit) and for Driving on a Suspended License or Driving without a License can result in jail time.

Do I Need a Traffic Attorney?

Your best chance at reducing the traffic charge or its consequences is to have an attorney handle your case who is familiar with the locality in which you received the ticket. In most cases, our attorneys can appear in court on your behalf and have your appearance waived so you do not have to miss work or travel from out of state.

Avoiding a reckless driving conviction is the most frequent traffic court objective. A good driving record helps considerably, but sometimes more steps need to be taken depending on the circumstances of your case. We can review your options with you over the telephone and formulate the best strategy for your case.

If you receive a ticket from an accident, you need legal advice. As a general rule you should not plead guilty or “no contest” to an accident ticket because that is an admission of liability that can be used against you at a later civil case. Accident cases have many issues to consider in order to present your case in the best light.  

Effects of Virginia Tickets on Out-of-State Licenses

Virginia has reciprocity with virtually every state, so the results of your traffic case are sent back to your home state if you have a non-Virginia license. Many states will record the out-of-state conviction on the driving record and impose the same points for out-of-state tickets as they would for in-state tickets. Some states have significant penalties for certain offenses whether they are committed in state or out of state. For example: North Carolina has serious consequences (possible license revocation/suspension) for speeding more than 15 MPH over the speed limit and insurance consequences for speeding more than 10 MPH over the limit. We try to assess your situation and get the best result for you.