Chesapeake Reckless Driving Defense
Chesapeake Reckless Driving Defense
If you were charged with reckless driving in Chesapeake, you will be summoned to appear at the General District Court in Chesapeake. The court house is located at 307 Albemarle Drive Civic Center Chesapeake, VA 23322-5571. There is free parking by the court house.
There are several judges for the General District Court. The current judges are: Hon. Erin L. Evans, Hon. Michael R. Katchmark, Hon. Linda L. Bryant and Hon. Tanya L. Lomax. Judges rotate on the bench so it is hard to predict which judge you will get.
Chesapeake Traffic Court Docket
Typically, traffic cases and reckless driving cases are heard in the morning, with segmented dockets starting at 9 a.m. There is also an afternoon docket. You should check your summons for the exact date, time, and court room your appearance is required at.
Commonwealth Attorney Involvement
The Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney’s office typically doesn’t get involved with prosecuting a reckless driving charge at the General District Court level. However, the Commonwealth Attorney’s office can get involved if it wanted to. Nancy G. Parr is the current Commonwealth Attorney. She has many Assistant Commonwealth Attorneys working under her.
Possible Reckless Driving Defenses
- A speedometer calibration of your vehicle may help your case if you were charged with reckless driving by speed. I can help you analyze if this is a good idea for your fact pattern. When I go to court, I make sure to check that the police officer has his Virginia Code mandated calibrations done for his equipment. If the officer paced you to determine your speed, there may be other defenses.
- In all reckless driving cases, whether reckless driving for passing a bus or for failure to maintain control of a vehicle, I make sure the police officer or trooper proves his case beyond a reasonable doubt. In accident cases, I look for whether hearsay is involved and whether testimony is admissible in court.
- Going to driving school before court may be an option for you. I can help you analyze if this is a good idea.