Anyone here from Bedford, VA?.. need legal help!

[orb]

I was driving through this part of the country yesterday on a business trip and I missed my exit off of 81. Needless to say (if you are familiar with that part of VA) there is no quick way back over to Lynchburg if you miss your exit on 81. I got off on 43 and took a scenic trip over the ridge and down into Bedford. I had just gotten onto 460 (only half an hour late for my meeting!) and was driving a little fast to make up time, when I saw the cop in front of me and our eyes locked. Well, I pulled over right away but I found out quickly they don't give you any slack in Virginia for being polite. Cop said I was doing 85 in a 55 and in that part of the country 30mph over the posted limit falls under the heading of "reckless driving".

Now it looks like I will need to make another 7 hour trip to go to court and apparently in Virginia you can go to jail for speeding. If any of you guys live around Bedford county, I sure would appreciate the name of a good local lawyer.

Do they still have chain gangs in the south?

Orb

 

[getut]

Chain gangs in the south? Those are only for show when yankees drive by.

We still have good old fashioned stonings on the weekends. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'll shut up now.. I had nothing constructive to say.. only humor.

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Cop said I was doing 85 in a 55 and in that part of the country 30mph over the posted limit falls under the heading of "reckless driving". )</font>

The real question is "were you going 85 in a 55 MPH zone?". If the answer to the question is yes, then no matter how good your lawyer is, if the officer can honestly testify to that fact, then your goose is cooked. I seriously doubt that they are going to do much more than give you a stiff fine. They usually reserve jail time for repeat offenders. I would call the clerk of the court and see if this can be cleared up without a court appearance. Many times, they will let you plead guilty and mail in the fine. You might consider the purchase of a Valentine radar detector for future driving in strange territory. It might save you the cost of additional tickets. Valentine Radar Detector Web Page They cover you coming and going... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You might consider the purchase of a Valentine radar detector for future driving in strange territory )</font>

Unless something's changed that I don't know about (a distinct possibility), possession of a radar detector in Virginia is illegal. They confiscate and destroy them in addition to the citation and fine (or at least they used to). /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[fishman]

Is there a phone number on the ticket for you to call? It's possible you can call and they'll allow you to plead guilty and send in the fine.

I just had a recent experience that could have been taken care of that way. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[kensfarm]

Not from Bedford.. but I got a reckless in VA.. some 10+ years ago.. had to see the judge. Not sure a lawyer will help but to thin out your wallet.. the judge will give you a chance to explain yourself.. the judge may reduce your fine if you plead "mercy".. but you will still have to pay a fine & court costs. My parents live in Appomatix.. Pamplin area.

I might practice "Your Honor.. I am guilty and have no excuse for my excessive speed. I was unfamiliar w/ the area and made a wrong turn & was late for a business meeting.. "

In my case.. the cop actually had lost sight of me.. I ended up pulling over behind him up the road a few miles.. "to see what he wanted".. he was pissed off.. and made me get out of my car and sit in his squad car while he ran my info.

 

[Junkman]

I have just re read your post and if I understand correctly, you both were headed in opposite directions.. That translates to he was using RADAR. Try this site and possibly the $25 tape that they sell might give you some help. If nothing else, it is an eye opener to say the least........ Junk.... http://www.speedzones.com/

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I might practice "Your Honor.. I am guilty and have no excuse for my excessive speed. )</font>

Pray a pregnant woman carrying a baby walks in in late. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

About thirty five years ago I got a ticket from the CHP for ninety five in a sixty five with three unsafe lane changes. Since I had more speeding tickets than I had years of age I walked to court because I knew I was going to lose my license.

Just after the judge had sat down and we were all seated a pregnant woman walked in carrying a baby. It was a standing room only kind of day.

I gave her my chair and went and stood at the back of the room until my name was called.

He read the charge.

I hung my head and said I was guilty as charged.

"Young man the minimum sentence for this offense is sixty five dollars AND ten days in jail" he said in a firm voice. "Or traffic school" he added almost as an after thought.

Being basically an honest sort even if I was a fast driver I replied as meekly as possible under the circumstances, "your honor, I just graduated traffic school last night."

He looked down at me over those glasses and said, "young man the minimum sentence is sixty five dollars AND ten days in jail, or traffic school."

I took traffic school.

And have had a very special place in my heart for pregnant women ever since, especially if they're carrying a baby. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Bird, I had a "Escort" radar detector. state of the art in those days from Cincinnati Radio. Someone broke into my car and swiped it. For reason unknown to me I didn't get anymore tickets. I think folks with radar detectors get more (and bigger) tickets than those that don't have detectors. If you want to see a big smile on an officer get pulled over with a radar detector. Am I right?

 

[Bird]

Al, you're probably right. I never used a radar gun personally (and never used a radar detector), although part of my tenure as a lieutenant was supervising traffic officers who used the radars. When my youngest daughter was still a teenager living at home, she wrecked her car one night, supposedly a tire blew and she hit that concrete barrier in the median on a freeway and turned the car up on the right side. It was totalled, but she had only very minor scratches and bruises (always wore and still wears her seat belt), and no other vehicles involved. The next day, I went to the police auto pound (another city instead of Dallas) to see the car and get her personal property from the car. I found that her personal property included a high dollar radar detector that I didn't know she had; a gift from a boyfriend, she told me when I got home and asked about it. And I told her that I didn't bring it home; just told the auto pound officer to destroy it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif