Reckless Driving: Charges Reduced Without License Suspension
If you get convicted of careless driving in Pennsylvania, the most you can face is a 90-day imprisonment, along with a maximum fine of $300.
But if you are charged with reckless driving, you face an additional liability along with the above charges- up to six months of license suspension! However, if your driving has caused bodily injuries to people, then it becomes an aggravated assault- a felony of the third degree. And the penalties for this charge are substantial. You may face imprisonment for up to 7 years, and may have to incur a fine of up to $15,000!
Not many days ago, our expert Pittsburgh criminal lawyers at the Logue Law Group contested a reckless driving charge and saved a man from the suspension of his driving privileges. Explore this blog to learn in detail how our expert team ensured the best outcome for our client.
What Constitutes Reckless Driving?
According to section 3736 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, reckless driving happens when someone operates a vehicle in wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.
So, any and every move of a driver that aligns with the above statement can constitute reckless driving. For instance, you can be charged with reckless driving if you-
- Speed excessively.
- Deliberately ignore red lights.
- Violate school bus arm-stop regulations.
- Change lanes and swerve through traffic dangerously.
- Text while driving.
Why Was Our Client Charged?
Our client, Mr. Jones (name changed), was a commercial vehicle driver by profession. And that was his only job, which fed a family of four.
What happened was that our client was late for a work appointment, and went over 32 mph over the required limit down the Old York Road. Not just that, but he kept changing lanes erratically, for which he was cited with reckless and careless driving by the cops.
Upon hearing the incident, our Pittsburgh criminal lawyers instantly realized the sensitivity of the matter. Mr. Jones even requested us to save his license from getting suspended, as that would cause him to lose his job. So, we knew that the negotiation had to be done effectively.
How Did We Help?
As mentioned above, Mr. Jones was the sole breadwinner of his family. Hence, he couldn’t have afforded to lose his job because of a license suspension.
But the issue lay somewhere else. Apparently, Mr. Jones went too fast beyond the accepted speed limits, for which a complete dismissal was next to impossible. So what our knowledgeable Pittsburgh criminal lawyers did instead was negotiate for a reduction of the levied charges with the court.
And our plan worked just the way we expected it to! Since Mr. Jones had a clean driving record, the court agreed to amend the charges. The reckless driving charge was reduced to careless driving, which meant that Mr. Jones still had to pay a minimal fine, but without losing his license! Although he received three points on his driving record, he could save his job now!
That is the beauty of hiring our experienced Pittsburgh criminal lawyers! No matter how complicated the situation is, our experts are always up for new challenges and try to churn out the best possible outcome for our clients. So, if you have been booked with a reckless driving charge and don’t want to lose your license, make sure to place a call at 844.PITT.DUI, or drop a mail at sean@seanloguelaw.com to book an appointment.