Criminal Traffic Violations

Get the criminal defense lawyers Norfolk, VA trusts

Some traffic violations in Virginia involve criminal charges. When this happens, drivers convicted of such serious charges often face severe penalties – including large fines, driver’s license suspension, and perhaps even jail time depending on the charges.

If you have been charged with a crime in connection with a traffic violation in Norfolk, Newport News or someplace else in Virginia, you need to take action. Virginia’s legal system can move fast. And if you don’t respond right away, you might miss important deadlines and legal opportunities.

Our Norfolk, VA criminal defense attorneys at Welch & Wright, PLLC have the knowledge and the skills you need to respond effectively and aggressively. We routinely represent people arrested and charged with serious criminal traffic violations in the Hampton Roads area.

Our trial lawyers also have extensive courtroom experience in many of the General District Courts and Circuit Courts of Virginia. As a result, we won’t waste a second getting right to work on your legal defense. You can count on us when it matters most.

What are common Virginia criminal traffic violations?

First, it’s important to understand that all traffic violations are not criminal violations. Most traffic tickets are civil infractions, like speeding or illegal parking. The consequences are usually limited to fines, increased insurance premiums, and possibly a license suspension for repeat offenses. This does not mean they should be taken lightly, as these civil infractions can add up to serious penalties.

Criminal traffic violations are often much more serious legal cases. In general, such traffic violations often involve bodily harm to others or the potential to injure someone else. Criminal traffic violations in Virginia include:

• Driving under the influence (DUI)
• Excessive speeding (considered Reckless Driving at certain speeds)
• Leaving the scene of an accident (hit and run)
• Reckless driving
• Driving without a valid driver’s license
• Driving on a suspended driver’s license
• Driving without a valid vehicle registration
• Vehicular homicide, which is a type of manslaughter charge since a driver who caused the car accident accidentally caused the death of another person.

Penalties for criminal traffic violations

Criminal traffic violations are primarily about public safety. In general, the more seriously someone was injured or could have been potentially injured, the more serious the penalties.

If you are convicted of a criminal traffic violation, such penalties can include:

• Suspension of driver’s license
• Significant fines, which can add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the criminal charge.
• Jail time, which could be several days, months or even years in prison, especially if someone died in the traffic accident and there were extenuating circumstances, such as the at-fault driver being intoxicated or the driver leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident.

What are my legal options?

Every legal case is different. Depending on what happened, your criminal defense attorney may be able to successfully defend you using some of the possible legal strategies that require proving:

• You did not commit the criminal charge you are accused of while driving.
• The other driver was at fault, and you are the victim.
• The police did not have reasonable suspicion to pull you over or probable cause to search your vehicle or arrest you.
• There is no evidence that you committed a criminal act while driving.

Your rights matter. Our law firm can fight for them

This might be your only opportunity for justice if you have been charged with a serious crime while driving in Virginia. Don’t simply assume that everything will turn out just fine. Take back control. Contact our Norfolk law firm right now.

Our dedicated legal team of Virginia trial attorneys has extensive courtroom experience, especially in the 4th Judicial Circuit of Virginia (Norfolk), the 2nd Judicial Circuit of Virginia (Virginia Beach), and other nearby jurisdictions in the Hampton Roads area.

Schedule your free case evaluation with a Norfolk, VA criminal defense lawyer focused on winning your case. Call or email Welch & Wright, PLLC – we will work hard to win your case, on your terms.