Fairfax County Traffic Attorney / Lawyer Recommendation

i think you better bone up on your shiv skills.

 

I find it amusing too...

 

Regarding your record, I don't really see it changing much of anything. Won't help, for sure, but it's not too bad, either. When did you last take the Safe Driver Course and get credit for it? Can't remember how many + points you get, either. Anyway, probably still best to wait on taking the course until the - points hit the license courtesy of the DMV.

You are not taken into custody at the hearing, generally, and you are given some time to get your matters in order before processing, but it's dependent on how the judge feels and what your attorney arranges for you. If you can arrange for the weekend deal, you just show up when you need to. Your attorney will advise you about whether you should expect to go immediately, though. If you lose, your attorney would file a notice of appeal immediately, although I believe he would have a week to do so. That will stay any punishment. When you go to a jury trial, it's a totally separate proceeding. It's as if you never even went to traffic court. You will have a different judge, a jury and probably also a different prosecutor. They will call the officer to give evidence. Your attorney will do his best to argue against the evidence. Generally, in traffic court, the judge ALWAYS takes the word of the officer over the word of the accused. A jury might not. You can take the stand, or not. However, if you take the stand, you may inadvertently incriminate yourself. So, your attorney should prep you for it. You can hire another attorney for it, if you wish. Once the case goes to the jury and they come back, that's it. The judge will give you a sentence, if you're guilty. The prosecutor may be willing to bargain down a bit before a verdict, but probably not too much at that point. Of course, it's dependent on how they feel about their case. The punishment is usually more harsh after a guilty verdict at trial. However, there are always exceptions. You should discuss these matters with your attorney, though, to get a full understanding of the risk of sentencing. Also, while attorneys will usually tell you about the effects of a guilty verdict, they mostly don't tell you about all the secondary and tertiary damage and repercussions. You have to understand these, too, so you can fully judge the impact. For instance, what, if anything, must you disclose to employers? Would you lose your right to vote? And so on.

Also, if you do go to trial, the cost of the representation is in addition to the attorney's appearance at traffic court. If an attorney represents you in traffic court for, say, $1500, expect something more like $4500-5000 for the trial. Get it all in writing, though.

CW

 

When you are a giant WISE ASS just about all the time, it can come back to bite you.

I'm relatively amazed that you've gotten as many helpful answers as you have, considering your history here.

Actually, that only wetpet has busted your balls is nothing short of astounding.

DM

 

I have been in the courtroom in Fairfax plenty of times to testify for the county in many a drunk driving case. Usually the defendant will confess to use as firemen regarding how much they have had to drink. Waiting for our trial I have seen many a person locked up. Sometimes they are there on a "continuance" hoping for a better judge, I think max is 3. However, once you actually go to trial, if you are convicted they take you right then and there, do not pass go and do not collect $200!!!! The look is priceless!!! The judge will always warn the defendant that he can impose a jail sentence in the case before proceeding.

Good luck.


Robert

 

When's the trial? I think we should all go...

Can we nominate this as thread of the month?

 

Edit - text deleted by toggie.

 

+1 I held back

 

I saw one guy confess to having "only a sixpack" and claiming it takes a lot more than that to get him drunk. Hopefully you kept your mouth shut since he most likely wrote down everything you said that could be used against you. Your lawyer can find out if the car had a camera in it. The rules in State Po in MD say they are supposed to anounce if they have a camera and are recording when they approach the car.

 

Nope.

Just about every state has changed the law to allow for significant leeway when it comes to ticketing error.

My kid got a ticket in PA with maybe 4 clerical errors on it and still couldn't wiggle out. (At least not for those reasons.) Lawyer said don't even bother to try that.

DM

 

As long as they have your name, tag and DL# correct they'll find you....

 

Irrelevant. You get VERY little credit for obeying the laws you're supposed to obey.

CW

 

Is there anything you can do prior to the court date to somehow show to the judge that you've actually learned a lesson from getting the ticket? That you are actually contrite, that is, about being reckless, taking chances with other innocent people's lives who share the road with you, and that you are highly unlikely to ever do something like that again on public roads.

Msoltanian's idea of putting his M3 up for sale as a result of getting the ticket is an interesting one. Would that show the judge how seriously concerned a person is to have been cited for going over 100 mph?

 

What's the attorney say?

I would think taking the driver safety course might help.

I'd do as many things proactively that I could. Good faith efforts to clean up your act in this regard should help and certainly can't hurt.

Sell the M3, buy a Prius (assuming you can find one.)

DM

 

In cases of motorcycles going 100+---judges here in MD will take that in consideration--many times I have seen guys come into court showing the bike has been sold, so no chance of it happening again---not sure how that works with VA judges, don't know VA traffic law....

I could add alot to this thread, but you guys are doing a knockout job!!!