Required

Reckless Driving Cases In Manassas Court

In cases where a person is charged with going a very high rate of speed, the judges in Prince William County and prosecutors in Prince William County are more inclined to impose significant jail time for those high speeds than perhaps in some other jurisdictions. That alone ought to convince a person that they need the help of an experienced attorney who handles reckless driving case in Manassas  to try to avoid jail time for just speeding.

Where Are Manassas Reckless Driving Cases Heard?

Their case will be heard at the Prince William County Courthouse and that is located on Lee Avenue in the city of Manassas. Manassas cases will be heard the same place as any other offenses they’re charged in any part of Prince William County.

Are Reckless Driving Cases Before A Judge Or Jury?

Initially their case will be heard by a judge and a judge only. The only opportunity that a person has in the Manassas to have a reckless driving charge heard by a jury is if they are found guilty by a judge and they elect to exercise their absolute right to appeal. If they appeal, then the case will be heard in circuit court. When you are in circuit court, you have the opportunity to elect a jury to hear your case. In many instances, this can be an advantageous strategy because most jurors understand the way that accidents can happen and sometimes can be known to hold drivers who make mistakes under less scrutiny than a judge would.

How Do Judges And Prosecutors Treat Manassas Reckless Driving Cases?

It depends on the nature of the driving that the government is alleging as reckless. If it is in an excessive speed case where a person is going over 90 miles an hour, then they are treated more harshly than they would be in a lot of other jurisdictions because those people are served jail time potentially.

If it is a traffic accident case, Prince William county judges are very reasonable in understanding that not all accidents result from reckless driving. The simple fact that an accident occurred, according to Virginia law, does not constitute reckless driving in it of itself. The government needs to prove more and the judges are very reasonable in their expectations of what the government actually has to prove.

Top Three Things To Expect In Manassas Reckless Driving Cases

Well, it depends again on the nature of the driving that they’re saying makes it reckless. A person very often will need to do some things in advance of court to try to help mitigate the circumstances they find themselves in. In many cases, I recommend that people prepare for court by attending a driver improvement school. In many cases, I have someone prepare for court by doing some community service hours. Also, if it is a reckless charge that results from a high speed, very often I’ll have that person get their speedometer calibrated to determine whether or not it was accurate because if the speedometer was off and you were reasonably relying upon it, that can be used as a defense or a mitigating factor in your case.