Best Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Lawyer • 1500+ Reviews
Riley & Wells Attorneys-At-Law is an established reckless driving defense firm. Our Portsmouth VA reckless driving lawyers specialize in defending reckless driving cases. We represent clients in the Portsmouth General District Court. Our attorneys have over 60 years of collective reckless driving law experience. We are a “Best Law Firm” according to U.S. News & World Report. Our reckless driving attorneys are routinely recognized by various legal organizations for superior legal ability and high ethical standards. We have been positively more than any other law firm that defends Portsmouth reckless driving cases. CAUTION: A Portsmouth VA reckless driving conviction will on average increase the automobile insurance premium by 73% or $1,046 EACH YEAR, according to Insurance.com
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Experienced Reckless Driving Defense Attorneys Portsmouth VA
Virginia has strict reckless driving laws. Reckless driving is a criminal misdemeanor. The most enforced reckless driving provision in Portsmouth VA is the excessive speed provision pursuant to Va. Code 46.2-862. This law criminalizes speeding 20 mph over the posted limit or driving faster than 85 mph. The City of Portsmouth VA is along the I-264 corridor. Portsmouth Police & State Police aggressively patrol Interstate 264, Route 17, Route 164 and other state highways in Portsmouth including Portsmouth Boulevard & Airline Boulevard. Let us review your case.
Top Rated Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Defense Lawyer
Experience Matters – Retain a Recognized Portsmouth Professional
Our lawyers are dedicated reckless driving defense lawyers. We are leaders in this practice area with a deep bench of experience from lecturing other attorneys about the status of the law at Virginia Trial Lawyers Association conventions to being a former Virginia State Trooper. You can benefit from our experience. An experienced Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Attorney can present your best defense before the Portsmouth General District Court. We know how to best protect our clients.
Penalties for Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Convictions
- Maximum 12 months in jail
- Maximum $2,500 fine
- Loss of driving privileges
- Moving violation demerit points
- Increased automobile insurance rates
- Community service
- Driver improvement programs
- Possible employment problems
Virginia Summons Reckless Driving Ticket Issued by Portsmouth Police
A Virginia Uniform Summons is the legal document issued by Portsmouth Police or State Troopers during a reckless driving traffic stop. Motorists often refer to this document as a ticket. The summons serves as legal notice for the alleged reckless driving violation. Signing the summons is not an admission of guilt. The summons advises you that a hearing will be at the Portsmouth General District Court on a particular date and time. The hearing will either be an arraignment or a trial depending on the case. Allow our top rated Portsmouth VA reckless driving lawyers to review your summons. We can develop a defense strategy even if you think you are guilty.
Free Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Lawyer Consultation
Some drivers think they do not need a lawyer for their Portsmouth VA reckless driving case. The biggest issue is usually experience. Keep in mind that there can be a lot riding on the case because reckless driving is a criminal misdemeanor that carries harsh penalties. Our top rated Portsmouth VA reckless driving lawyers know the best tactics for obtaining good results. Our attorneys spend a significant amount of time in the Portsmouth General District Court every day and are familiar with the habits of the of the different judges and the law enforcement officers who issue reckless driving tickets. This local knowledge is invaluable when determining how to best defend a reckless driving case.
Portsmouth Reckless Driving Trials are Adversarial By Design
If you have been accused of reckless driving in Portsmouth, then your case will eventually be set for trial before the Portsmouth General District Court. Reckless driving trials are adversarial in nature. This involves a structured and formalized dispute between the Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the defense. The adversarial system is designed to ensure a fair trial process subject to the rules of law and evidence by allowing each side to present their case and to be able to challenge the other’s arguments and evidence. The Portsmouth District Court Judge ultimately evaluates the evidence and arguments to reach a verdict. This system ensures that the prosecution meets its high standard of proof.
Elite Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Attorneys by Virginia Super Lawyers
Super Lawyers is a lawyer rating service of outstanding attorneys from 70 plus practice areas including reckless driving law who have attained the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. This legal organization recognizes the top lawyers nationwide across a variety of practice areas and firm sizes using a patented process of independent research and peer input. Our Portsmouth VA reckless driving lawyers have been recognized by this publication since 2009. No more than five percent of the lawyers are named to this list and no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list. This recognition is merit based. Retain a top rated Portsmouth reckless driving attorney who has been recognized with this award.
Riley & Wells Attorneys-At-Law Defend Portsmouth Reckless Driving Charges
- 46.2-852 – General rule
- 46.2-853 – Fail to maintain control; brakes
- 46.2-854 – Passing on grade or curve
- 46.2-855 – View obstructed/control impaired
- 46.2-856 – Passing two vehicles abreast
- 46.2-857 – Driving two abreast
- 46.2-863 – Failure to yield
- 46.2-864 – Parking lots
- 46.2-865 – Racing
- 46.2-865.1 – Injury or death while racing
- 46.2-858 – Passing at a railroad crossing
- 46.2-859 – Passing a stopped school bus
- 46.2-860 – Failing to give proper signals
- 46.2-861 – Driving too fast conditions
- 46.2-861.1 – Failure to “Move Over” or Yield to Stationary Emergency Vehicle
- 46.2-862 – Excessive speeding
- 46.2-866 – Racing; aiders or abettors
- 46.2-867 – Racing
- 46.2-868.1 – Aggressive driving
- 46.2-869 – Improper driving
The Jail Penalty is Real in Aggravated Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Cases
Reckless driving in Portsmouth is a criminal offense. With the exception of some racing cases, the offense is a class 1 misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is 12 months in jail. Most drivers charged with reckless driving will not see the inside of a jail cell even if convicted. That all changes if the Portsmouth Commonwealth Attorney considers your case to be an aggravated reckless driving case and has set the matter for arraignment. At the arraignment, the Judge will advise the reckless driving motorist defendant of their constitutional right to hiring their own lawyer. Do not take any chances at this point. Retain a top rated Portsmouth VA reckless driving lawyer with the experience to present your best defense.
Reckless Driving Fail Move Over Stationary Portsmouth Emergency Vehicle
Va. Code 46.2-861.1 requires drivers to “move over” to an adjacent lane when passing a Portsmouth stationary emergency vehicle stopped on the shoulder of a Portsmouth highway with emergency lights activated under certain traffic conditions. A violation can be considered reckless driving if a stationary emergency vehicle is in involved, which is a criminal misdemeanor. If you have been accused of violating this reckless driving law then it would be in your best interests to consult an accomplished top rated local Portsmouth VA reckless driving attorney before appearing in the Portsmouth General District Court. We know how to successfully defend these types of cases. You may have a valid defense and not realize it.
Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving Accident Defense Attorneys
Reckless driving general (46.2-852) and driving a vehicle not under proper control or with faulty brakes (46.2-853) are the two most common reckless driving laws that Portsmouth police officers will charge a motorist with in traffic accident cases. Any person who drives a vehicle that is not under proper control may be violating the reckless driving law. NOTE: The mere happening of an accident does not mean you are guilty of reckless driving. Sometimes the prosecution cannot prove how the accident happened. Other times there is only evidence of slight culpability. The issuance of a summons for reckless driving is not a conviction. Our Portsmouth VA reckless driving attorneys know how to best defend these types of cases.
Portsmouth VA Reckless Driving DISMISSED
Our Portsmouth VA reckless driving attorneys represented a client charged with reckless driving for driving too fast. In this case, we developed defenses to the police RADAR device used to calculate speed. A plea of not guilty was entered. We were able to effectively cross examine the state trooper who was operating RADAR in the City of Portsmouth and made the reckless driving allegation. We exposed the fact that the RADAR used in this particular case was not tested for accuracy with properly calibrated tuning forks, which is required by Va. Code 46.2-882. The Court granted our motion to dismiss the case.
Portsmouth Reckless Driving 80+ mph NOT GUILTY
Our reckless driving lawyer in Portsmouth defended a student who was charged with Reckless Driving for driving 80 miles per hour on I-264. Students are often cited with reckless driving because many drive through Portsmouth on the way to the beach or the North Carolina Outer Banks. Many families also use I-264 for summer beach travels. We were able to present compelling evidence and arguments to persuade the Portsmouth Court to take the case under advisement and to eventually find our client NOT GUILTY of the allegation.
Portsmouth Reckless Driving Lawyer Client Review
Contact a Portsmouth reckless driving lawyer today for a free consultation!
7/18/2025
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