DUIs can seem hopeless, but that doesn’t mean they are, as we have said often enough in the articles on this website. If you’re charged, there is hope, but no one can pull you out of the darkness into the light better than an experienced DUI lawyer. The law is complex and you may have defenses you don’t know about.
Knowing how to find those defenses, present them the right way, and win at trial helps achieve the critical goal most folks actually want: a plea deal to a reduced charge.
Often that reduced charge is reckless driving. Here’s more about it.
Reckless Driving and Penalties
Reckless driving is a serious moving violation, but it’s got nothing on a DUI or DUAC conviction. Considered in terms of bleeding, reckless driving is a paper cut, but DUI/DUAC shears you down to the bone.
- What “reckless driving” means. You drove with total disregard for the safety of others, or property.
- Penalties. The maximum fine, including court costs, is usually around $500. It also adds six points to your drivers license (remember: 12 points suspends your license). You should also expect your auto insurance premium to go up, if your insurance carrier checks your driving record during the three years the points stay on it. But you can get four points removed by taking a defensive driving course after the points hit your license, if you’re eligible; that should help with insurance.
- Suspension risk. Two reckless driving charges in five years will suspend your license for three months.
- Why it’s better than DUI/DUAC. There’s no automatic license suspension, no ignition interlock, no SR22 insurance, social stigma, potential job loss, and the fine’s about half as much.
Give Yourself A Chance
If you handle your DUI alone, tough officers and determined prosecutors confront you. Like a quarterback without an offensive line, nothing stands between them sacking you with a conviction. You need a trained professional with skills to give yourself hope to deflect their attack by getting a good deal—or to defeat them by winning your case.
Check out our free book about these cases and start a live chat with us right now so we can stand up for you.
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