License Suspension is a Threat

My Southern California criminal defense colleagues wrote a great article that discusses license suspension due to charges other than DUI.

The general point of the article applies here in Virginia as well: your license can be suspended for many different charges. It’s a real threat.

One of the most common non-DUI offenses to incur suspension of your license is Virginia reckless driving. It is a class 1 misdemeanor. In addition to jail time, you are facing a fine up to $2,500 and 12 months license suspension.

The judge doesn’t always take away driving privileges, but he certainly does sometimes. Just today in Spotsylvania traffic court, the judge suspended a reckless driving defendant’s license for 60 days. And that’s a fairly mild suspension!

What would happen in your life without a driver’s license for 60 days? You might be able to obtain a restricted permit to drive to work, but you might not. And you certainly couldn’t drive just for fun activities.

When you’re deciding whether or not to hire an attorney for a traffic charge, be sure you know all the possible consequences. That’s why I always recommend people contacting an attorney even if they think they don’t need one. It’s best to be sure what you’re facing.