I Need Help Fast!! (insurance, how much, felony)

[dirtsurferus]

I got busted going 82 in a 55. I am only 16, have great grades in school along with a good attendance, and it is only my first offense. I need to know what the courts will probably do. I need to know if i need a lawyer. i have to pay for this myself so i have about $400 to work with. how much am i to expect in charges? how much will my fine be? I don't have money for a lawyer...but do i really need one? PLEASE HELP FAST!!

[The Dissenter]

did you get a speeding ticket or a reckless driving charge and are you being tried as an adult? the city that you live in should have a public defenders office so u should get a lawyer free of charge. my advice is to just plead guilty and throw yourself on the mercy of the court beit juvenile or adult court. since this is your first offense and u have a good record i doubt you'll get any serious jail time. maybe community service, points on your driving record, possible suspension of license, and/or probation with a fine that may be the worst case scenario. if you stay out of trouble until you are 18 that charge should be sealed or thrown out of your record.

[EricD]

Your main consern should be NOT getting a reckless driving ticket... when I was 18, they got me for going 82 in a 65 (on 95), and the cop wrote down 80, so it would be a normal ticket, instead of reckless driving... I only got 3 points on my licence, I had to take a driving safety class ($40) within 6 months of the ticket, and I had to pay almost $100... but again, that was just 80 in a 65....

Good luck, and stop speeding... especially at 16... You're not invincable, no matter what you may think at that age.

[jmarkd]

Good advice from EricD. Don't be the kid from your school who gets himself killed.

As for the ticket, follow the advice above. They aren't going to give you the chair for speeding. If I was a judge I would take your license for a couple months and make you go visit mothers of kids who died in car wrecks.

I wrecked my car when I was 16 or 17, I was driving way too fast. I joined the Army and managed to get speeding tickets in MO, AR, and PA in about two years. It was all highway speed trap stuff, 77 in a 65, that sort of BS. And back then they didn't suck up to anyone in the military the way they do now. they were just glad to make their quota on an out-of-stater.

I was careful on the back roads after my wreck. If you can learn and internalize Newton's three laws you'll be a much safer driver.

With that in mind, my son is going to have to get at least a B in physics before he gets his license. Girls are much more prudent at that age but even good grade earning boys like yourself are reckless.

[saganista]

Don't count on leniency, and read the ticket carefully. If it says Reckless Driving on it (anything over 80 is about automatic), then you are in serious trouble. That's a criminal charge (a felony), not a speeding ticket, and you will need a lawyer right away. Figure on all this costing you about $2000 and a lot of aggravation. Then watch what happens to your insurance rates. This is not a scare tactic. This is the best possible outcome for a reckless driving charge. This is what you hope will happen. But things will be much worse, both now and for the next decade or so, if you don't get a lawyer. Do not delay, and whatever you do, make sure that you or your lawyer is in court at the date and time on the ticket. If you do not appear, a warrant will be issued for your arrest, the police will come looking for you, and they will cuff you and haul you away on the spot as soon as they find you.

There are probably a couple of dozen other Reckless threads on this forum. Take a look. Some of the perps (that's what you are now) were able to post back on their outcomes. Might be worthwhile to read and then take their advice..such as by getting yourself a lawyer right away...

[dirtsurferus]

Can i use a public defender for free? or do they charge too?

[Skylar25]

A 'public defender' is just that....a lawyer that the court appoints when you can't afford your own....never been in the situation but know those who have & must warn that these lawyers are over-worked AND underpaid and don't always have the time to give to your case that you might just require! At just 16 you don't want a serious black mark on your record already...so look into finding your OWN lawyer!

[saganista]

Originally Posted by dirtsurferus

Can i use a public defender for free? or do they charge too?

You're still looking for a Get Out of Jail Free card. It doesn't exist. The sooner you can put aside the this can't be happening to me thing and start working on what you need to do to deal with the reality of your situation, the better off you will ultimately be. Get a lawyer who is in the geographic area where your court date is and who has experience defending Reckless charges. There are plenty of them. Cut a deal with the lawyer on payment if he or she will let you, but at least get out of the denial and self-pity zones and get to work on the task that's before you...

[claremarie]

I have to ask -- where are your parents?

[dorado0359]

Since you are only 16, why don't you talk to your parents or a family member,about this situation? It sounds to me that you need more parental guidance and direction than legal advide in your life.