Im 16 years old, and i was driving somewhere around 50/25. I was pulled over, fully expecting a speeding ticket. I was given a reckless driving citation and now have a mandatory court date. I do not know the actual speed i was going, nor do i believe the officer does either, as he never gave me a speed i was going, or is it posted on my citation anywhere. I learned that reckless driving is a criminal offense, and was hoping iif there was anyway i could get this changed into a normal traffic violation... I know i was driving too fast.. there was just no one on the road, i was in recently bought car, and i was late... it was stupid of me, but i would please like to know if there is ANY way to reduce my violation. (This is my first ticket btw)
Update:For the person below, i have a job, ive paid for my own vehicle, i pay my gas, and insurance myself. I know im going to get fines for this and im going to have to pay those too. Its big enough that this is going to cost me quite a bit, with insurance included. I just really need to keep my licence for me to get to work and school.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
You were 16 and driving approximately twice the posted speed limit?
Yep. This is a criminal citation - not a traffic infraction. And I seriously doubt you have any realistic hope of getting this reduced. Your judgment was absolutely awful and is why there are so many concerns about allowing underage teens to drive in the first place.
If your parents are still allowing you to drive, then my guess is that the judge will be as hard on you as possible (under the theory that the judge can't trust your parents to control your behavior). Most parents in this situation would yank the car and the license until you turned 18 and could purchase your own insurance.
It's called a lawyer. You might consider having your parents hire one. If you haven't told them yet, get going. You're going to need them too.
In most states, anything over 20mph over the limit can be written as reckless driving which equates to a misdemeanor charge. You will likely lose your license.