Arrested for Reckless Driving? What Defenses Are Available?
Have you received a reckless driving ticket? If so, you need to be aware that reckless driving can have a negative effect on your life.
If you are convicted of reckless driving in Maryland, you can receive six points on your driving record. It requires mandatory enrollment in a Driver Improvement Program.
If you already have points, it may even lead to your license being suspended. Additionally, you may face up to $1000 in fines, and your car insurance rates can skyrocket.
You may seek a criminal defense attorney to help you fight the ticket. Here are the things you need to know, including the defenses available for you if arrested for reckless driving.
Reckless Driving in Maryland
In Maryland, you can be charged with reckless driving if you are operating a motor vehicle with a wanton or willful disregard for the safety of individuals or property. Unfortunately, this is a broad term, and it can apply to many situations, including street racing, driving drunk, driving at an excessively high rate of speed, or even passing other vehicles at a railroad crossing.
Legal Defenses for Reckless Driving
A criminal defense attorney in Maryland may raise certain defenses if you have received a reckless driving ticket. These defenses can help to raise doubts about you driving recklessly, helping to get the ticket either reduced or dismissed entirely. Read on to learn about the three most common legal defenses your attorney can raise for a reckless driving charge in Maryland.
You Were Not the Driver
One of the defenses that may be raised as a legal defense for a reckless driver is that you were not the car. You may sometimes be charged with reckless driving based on camera footage of your vehicle running through a red light or street racing. However, maybe someone else was using your vehicle at that time, or maybe your car was even stolen.
It can be very hard to get a reckless driving conviction if the police do not see you behind the wheel of the vehicle themselves.
You Were Not Being Reckless
Another common defense that Maryland criminal defense attorneys may raise for reckless driving is that you were not being reckless. For example, you may have been speeding, but just because you are speeding does not mean that you were driving recklessly.
It can be a great defense because Maryland’s speeding ticket points are far less than reckless driving points. Arguing that you committed an infraction, but not a reckless driving infraction, may reduce your punishment, including points to your driving record and the cost of the ticket you receive.
Your Reckless Driving Was Necessary
The final defense that is often used for reckless driving is that your reckless driving was necessary. Perhaps you were waiting at a stop light when you heard gunshots, so you drove as fast as possible to escape the situation. Or maybe you were having a heart attack, stroke, or seizure, and you were unaware of the actions you were making while you were behind the wheel.
If there is a reason why you were driving recklessly, such as an emergency, a judge may dismiss the reckless driving charges.
How Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Can Help You
If you have been given a ticket or a citation for reckless driving, you must understand that you face more severe consequences than a normal traffic ticket. As such, you need to take the citation seriously and consider hiring a criminal defense attorney to help you.
They can help to raise defenses that may help get the charges against you reduced or eliminated. Even a reduction can be a huge victory as a reduction does not affect your license as drastically as reckless driving charges.
If you have recently received a ticket for reckless driving, reach out to the Law Office of Robert Castro. Our trained and skilled attorneys are here to help you fight the charges you are facing, including reckless driving. Call or email us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your case with us.
