Driving on a Suspended License Charge:
Sometimes there are defenses to a charge of driving on a suspended license. You may have moved and not received the notice of the suspension. The officer who wrote you the ticket may have made an unlawful stop of your vehicle.
Many people are not aware that their license is under suspension until they are pulled over by the police and arrested. Although claiming not to have received notice is not a defense by itself, there may be other legal defense strategies an experienced attorney can pursue to keep you on the road with a clean record.
The penalty for driving on a suspended license can vary widely from case to case, but almost always includes an additional period of license suspension. Sentences can depend on the original reason for the suspension, the length of suspension, your driving on the date in question, and your prior criminal or traffic record (or lack thereof).
Jail time is a possibility in some cases, but is not usually given for a first offense in Charlottesville, Virginia and surrounding counties. A third offense conviction for driving on a suspended license due to a DUI charge has a mandatory minimum jail sentence of one year.
Whether you were unknowingly suspended for unpaid court costs, or you make a mistake deciding to drive after a previous traffic incident, DUI, or drug possession charge, you need help. An attorney with experience fighting license and traffic charges can tell you what to expect. They will discuss your options for fighting the charges, or working out a deal to keep the most serious consequences and penalties off the table.
As usual, every situation is unique. Contact a Virginia attorney for specific details.
 |
| Firm Partner |
Andre A. Hakes
Tucker Griffin Barnes P.C.
Charlottesville, Virginia
434-973-7474
3 comments:
Hello,
I moved to VA from MD and did not immediately switch my license, registration. Sadly,I got ticketed for it, went to court hoping for fees to be lessened (which they weren't) and paid the fines - though I paid late. About two weeks later I got pulled over and told my license is suspended which was a complete shock as I was completely unaware! This happened very near my home and I was allowed to drive home and I immediately called to inquire why the suspension and it was simply because my other payment was received late. A complete waste of my money - but I paid within an hour of this incident to reinstate my license. BUT i still have a court date for driving with a suspended license and of course, the officer also ticketed me for NO A LICENSE, NO VALID REGISTRATION (out of state), FAILURE TO OBTAIN VA REGISTRATION. I am completely overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of all these "offenses" that all sound the same. Anyway - i have since obtained VA license and registration.
Questions - 1. Is there a very good chance that the charges for NO VA LICENSE, NO VALID REGISTRATION, NO VA REGISTRATION will be scratched since I have that all done now? I would just show up in court with all my new documentation. Or should I bite the bullet and pay them off so that it is not evident i didn't get that all fixed since the first time i was ticketed for those several months ago?
2. Considering my license was only suspended for about 2 weeks and was it was an administrative suspension (late payment), how severe (or not) of a case is that? What kind of penalties am I looking at? Or is it likely to be scratched since I took care of it within an hour of being informed. I never received a notice of suspension prior to being stopped. Perhaps it went to my old address.
I appreciate your insight!
THANKS!
If person break the driving rules at that time the traffic police can suspend the license. Most of driving license is suspend in these mater, traffic incident, DUI or drug possession charge.
Nice post many people agree with you
Orlando Federal Defense Attorney
Post a Comment