Good lawyer for traffic court in N.VA?

March 27, 2006 9:47 AM

Northern Virginia: I need to appear soon in Arlington County traffic court, and I'd like to get legal assistance with my case. The metro area is full of law firms - would anyone care to recommend a good one?
posted by atavistech to law & government (9 comments total)

i have a card at home for a seemingly honest one. so honest, he recommended that i not pay him, because he was going to lose my case anyway.

basically, virginia (northern va anyway) is really tough on traffic crime. i saw people go to JAIL for speeding. the judge threw out almost nothing. back when i was in north carolina, the traffic court seemed more interested in being efficiennt and keeping a revenue stream going, so would throw just about anything out as long as you asked nicely and paid court costs. but in va, they seemed to be out for blood. i'll reply back later today with the lawyer's name.
posted by kneelconqueso at 10:26 AM on March 27, 2006

Fortunately, my charge is at the low end of the severity scale, and isn't related to speeding or an accident. I don't have very high hopes for getting the charges dropped, but getting them reduced could mean a lot less hassle over the next few years.

I'd love the name of that lawyer if you're able to find it. Thanks!
posted by atavistech at 11:01 AM on March 27, 2006

I don't have a lawyer to suggest, but I don't regret having used one (in Loudoun county--Arlington would be too far). He did a better job presenting me in a good light than I could have done which earned enough sympathy points to get the charges reduced (I didn't have a prayer of winning on the facts of the case). So, yes, Virginia is a right bastard when it comes to defendants' rights, but if it's a misdemeanor or worse, you'll probably save money in the long term by lawyering up.
posted by jewzilla at 1:25 PM on March 27, 2006

I can't answer the question, but I can say that I've been in court a few times in Northern Virginia, and I have succeeded in getting the charges dropped.

What is the charge? No speeding, no accident, it can't be too bad. Expired something? If so, and you've corrected the problem, you might be disappointed in how little time you spend before the judge before the case is dismissed.

kneelconqueso - I've mostly been in Fairfax County, but I never saw anyone sent to jail for speeding unless they were awaiting another trial or had an outstanding warrant. I don't think I've even seen anyone sent to jail for reckless driving (usually 20 MPH over the limit).

Still a good bet to go with a lawyer, but I wouldn't panic if it is only a minor infraction.
posted by bh at 6:34 PM on March 27, 2006

bullocks, i can't find the card. i cant believe i lost such a valuable thing.
posted by kneelconqueso at 8:05 PM on March 27, 2006

If it's an expired tax or safety inspection ticket, provided you've remedied the situation before your court date, you probably won't have any other penalties besides having to sit in the courthouse for a couple hours -- unless it's a habitual thing. If they've caught you at this before, then you might be in hot water.

If it's an HOV violation, and you've been busted for it before, then the multipliers can be brutal, and from what I understand, they're pretty tough to get waived.
posted by crunchland at 8:17 PM on March 27, 2006

kneelconqueso - No problem, thanks for trying. I hope it turns up for you later, sounds like a handy number to keep around.

bh & crunchland - Thanks, that's all very reassuring to hear. I know I'm worrying way more than is probably necessary, but I figure it's probably better than blithely assuming that everything will be fine and taking no steps in advance.

The offense is a moving violation, under the 'general endangerment' section of the Reckless Driving law. Basically it was improper passing at low speed; I was trying to reach a left-turn lane in heavy traffic, and would otherwise have had to wait through several changes of a very slow light. A double yellow median line got crossed, so here we are.

[aerial view of the intersection]

In addition to finding a lawyer, I'm also taking a voluntary driver-improvement course online. Under normal circumstances, that would give me some bonus points and lower my insurance - in this case, I just hope it will be a mitigating factor in court.
posted by atavistech at 8:08 AM on March 28, 2006

Followup: case outcome

For the benefit of anyone who might find this thread while searching for info in future, I wanted to mention the outcome of this case, which went to court today.

I decided to hire an attorney, and was able to find one who took the case for a $500 flat fee. This was much lower than the other firms I called, who all had starting rates at around $1500. A friendly receptionist suggested that I try firms with offices close to the court house, which would reduce their travel time - this was how I found the attorney I decided to hire.

After some plea-bargaining with the Commonwealth prosecutor, my attorney was able to get the charge reduced to Improper Driving, with a $100 fine. This was a near thing though, and was greatly helped by the officer's statement that I had been very cooperative when stopped.

I'm very happy with the end outcome of this case. I'm sure I could find a better use for the $750 total which I've spent, but it's a whole lot better than a Misdemeanor conviction for Reckless Driving, which carries a maximum penalty of $2500 and a year in jail.

My sincere thanks go out to everyone who responded to this thread. I hope this info may be of use to someone else in future.
posted by atavistech at 10:52 AM on April 10, 2006

Congratulations! You spent a few bucks, but at least it is now gone. Improper driving sounds bad, but it is much better than some of the alternatives.

Having sat through VA traffic court, what do you think of it now?
posted by bh at 6:48 PM on April 17, 2006