Quote:
Originally Posted by scoates2
I'm a Maryland resident and just got pulled over for going 78 in a 55 mph zone (Loudon County). The officer was nice (I was lost and late and he took sympathy) and only charged me with speeding rather than reckless driving. I really need to try and keep points off of my record, but I'm worried that if I go to court the judge will charge me with reckless anyway. Is that possible? Should I go to court or just pay the fine? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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yes, go to court. Loudon County is probably more lenient than...say, Fairfax County.
i can comment on Fairfax County, where they need the revenues generated by traffic violations....so when you plead guilty with an explanation, the judge will usually give you the full fine + court cost....but most likely reduce the points.
the good news about being an MD resident is that MD will most of the time reject VA's aggressive stance on traffic violations and not accept certain VA citations/judgments....even though the systems are connected. however, VA does keep a record of your violation that they can pull up should you get another one and show up in court. this is a big deal because for most "preferred/standard" insurance policies, any reckless driving, DUI's, etc...would disqualify you for the next renewal....they will knock you down to "high risk/indemnity" which should double your rates. and you won't qualify for other companies' "preferred" rates neither....just their high risk.
the bad news about being an out-of-state driver is that their not worried about your vote in their next election.
and technically, the judge can disregard the cop's and/or prosecuting attorney's suggestion (in your case, speeding) and impose the maximum which is reckless driving for doing 20 over....but they usually don't because this would disrupt the whole process of plea bargaining, etc...which is partially meant to lessen the burden of the overcrowded court system....unless you look like a criminal with a bigass record or something.
bring a lawyer if you can afford it. did you call the court to find out how much the ticket is? the biggest worry though is losing that standard insurance policy rate....unless you're already in high risk...then it's just another rate increase that you're probably already used to anyway.
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Speeding ticket - Should I go to court?
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