Reckless Driving Attorney Los Angeles

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Reckless Driving Attorney Los Angeles

If you or a loved one has been charged with reckless driving in Los Angeles, California, you should immediately contact Experienced Reckless Driving Attorney Los Angeles at The H Law Group to defend you and keep you from going to jail. You should not take reckless driving charges under California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 23103 lightly as a conviction for reckless driving is a misdemeanor offense that carries a jail sentence of up to 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1000, as well as being placed on informal probation for three years.

Also, if you caused an accident that resulted in the injury or death of another person, you will face more severe consequences. So, if you have been charged with reckless driving in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the State of California, you should immediately contact an experienced Los Angeles Reckless Driving Attorney at The H Law Group to defend you and keep you from going to jail and losing your driver’s license. Schedule your free consultation today by filling out the contact form below or by calling us at 1 (213) 370-0404.

PENALTIES FOR A RECKLESS DRIVING CONVICTION IN LOS ANGELES

If the prosecution successfully convicts an individual of reckless driving under Section 23103 CVC, an individual faces the following potential consequences:

  • A maximum of 90 days in jail (5-day minimum)
  • A fine of up to $1000 (ranges from $145 to $1000)
  • Two points added to your driving record
  • Placement on informal probation for three years
  • Increase in the cost of automobile insurance
  • Possible loss of your job or professional license
  • Suspension of your driver’s license

WHAT MUST THE PROSECUTION SHOW TO PROVE A PERSON GUILTY OF VIOLATING CVC 23103?

For the prosecution to convict a person guilty of violating CVC Section 23103, it must prove the following elements beyond a reasonable doubt:

  • The defendant drove a vehicle
  • The defendant drove with reckless disregard to the safety of other persons or property

Reckless disregard can be proven by showing that the defendant knew that driving in the manner that he was, posed a high and unjustified risk for harm to others or their property. The prosecution is not required to prove that the defendant intended to harm others or their property, but only that he knew of the risk and provided to drive recklessly.

The fact that a person was speeding or driving very quickly is not sufficient for the prosecution to convict an individual of reckless driving. However, if you were driving at a very high speed, cutting off other vehicles, and weaving in and out of traffic, the prosecution may be able to prove you guilty of reckless driving because such actions put the lives of others at risk.

So, if you have been charged with reckless driving, and want the best chance of beating the charges against you, you should hire an experienced Los Angeles Reckless Driving Attorney at The H Law Group to defend you and fight for you. We have defended countless individuals who have been charged with reckless driving, often achieving successful results for our clients. So, contact us and schedule your free consultation today.

EXAMPLES OF RECKLESS DRIVING

Here are some examples of why people have been charged with reckless driving:

  • Driving at extremely high speeds (100mph+)
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, and/or drugs
  • Swerving in and out of traffic
  • Running a red light at an extremely high speed
  • Driving on the wrong way of the road
  • Driving on the shoulder or using the shoulder to pass traffic
  • Driving on the sidewalk
  • Using your vehicle to intentionally scare pedestrians

IS RECKLESS DRIVING A FELONY OR A MISDEMEANOR?

Most reckless driving cases that we handle are charged by prosecutors as misdemeanors. However, reckless driving can be charged as a felony offense. For example, a first offense reckless driving charge is usually charged as a misdemeanor, whereas, reckless driving that results in the injury or death to another person may be charged as a felony. So, it really depends on the facts of your case. That said, whether you’re charged with misdemeanor reckless driving or felony reckless driving, our reckless driving attorneys are here to defend you and achieve the best possible results for you.

RECKLESS DRIVING DEFENSES

If you have been charged with reckless driving under CVC Section 23103, there are a variety of defenses that your attorney can make to defend you. The defenses we are about to list are not exhaustive of all the defenses your attorney can make, but rather a list of commonly made defenses that we see. Here are some of the defenses that may apply to you:

  • You were not the person driving the vehicle – As part of its case, the prosecution must prove that you were behind the wheel, if the evidence against you is weak, your attorney can argue that you were not behind the wheel and the case against you should, therefore, be dismissed.
  • You admit that you drove recklessly, but you did so out of necessity – Your attorney can use the defense necessity. For example, if a loved one had a heart attack or some medical condition that required immediate medical attention, your attorney can argue that although you drove recklessly, you did so seeking medical help for a loved one.
  • You were only speeding & were not driving recklessly – The fact that an individual was speeding, is usually not sufficient for the prosecution to prove an individual guilty of reckless driving. You have to look at all of the surrounding circumstances to determine whether speeding is reckless in the defendant’s situation.

That said, if you are being charged with reckless driving and want an excellent reckless driving attorney to represent you, look no further than Los Angeles Reckless Driving Lawyer at The H Law Group to defend you and keep you from losing your driver’s license and going to jail.

DRY RECKLESS VS WET RECKLESS

A dry reckless driving charge under California Vehicle Code Section 23103 VC is a charge that a defendant charged with a DUI may plead to instead of a DUI only if approved by the prosecution.

When a person pleads to a dry reckless, he is pleading to driving recklessly with disregard for the safety of others around him. By pleading to a dry reckless, the defendant does not admit the use of alcohol, marijuana, or any other drugs. However, if an individual pleads guilty to a wet reckless, he is basically pleading to reckless driving that involves the use of alcohol, marijuana, and/or drugs.

A dry reckless is a better outcome for an individual vs a wet reckless because a dry reckless imposes a maximum jail sentence of up to 90 days in county jail, whereas a wet reckless, imposes a maximum jail sentence of up to six months for those who are convicted of it.

Also, if an individual pleads guilty to a dry reckless, he is usually placed on probation for one to two years. However, an individual who pleads guilty to a wet reckless can be sentenced to three or five years of probation.

When it comes to fines, a conviction of a wet reckless or dry reckless carries a maximum fine of up to $1000. However, you should take into account penalty assessments that could go as high as $3000 for a wet reckless conviction. So, when it comes to cost, a dry reckless is cheaper for an individual.

Also, when it comes to rehabilitation, those who are convicted of a dry reckless do not have to complete a DUI education program, whereas an individual convicted of a dry reckless face many of the consequences of a DUI, such as the completion of a mandatory six-week DUI education program.

So, for the best possible outcome, and to mitigate the consequences you face, you should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney at The H Law Group to defend you and fight for you. Our attorneys have handled countless reckless driving cases, so they know how to approach each case to best defend their clients.

REDUCING A DUI INTO A WET RECKLESS OR DRY RECKLESS

If you have been charged with a DUI, and there is a good amount of evidence against you, the best plea deal that your DUI attorney can negotiate for you is the reduction of your DUI into a Dry Reckless. A conviction of dry reckless driving is not prior-able, meaning that if you’re charged with a subsequent DUI, your dry reckless conviction cannot be used by the prosecution to charge you with a second offense DUI. For this reason, prosecutors are often very hesitant to allow defendants to plead guilty to a dry reckless.  However, when the prosecution has a weak case against an individual and the defendant’s BAC level was very close to 0.08%, prosecutors may allow an individual to plead guilty to a dry reckless.

RECKLESS DRIVING CAUSING BODILY INJURY – CVC SECTION 23104

Under California Vehicle Code Section 23104 VC, it is unlawful for an individual to drive recklessly and cause injury to another person. For example, if you were driving at 110mph or you were driving under the influence of alcohol and caused an accident that injures the driver of the other vehicle, the prosecution can charge you with reckless driving causing bodily injury. If the injury is very serious, additional charges and sentencing enhancements may apply to you. If convicted of reckless driving under Section 23104, an individual faces up to six months in county jail, as well as a fine of up to $1000. If you have been charged with reckless driving under any vehicle code section, you should immediately contact Reckless Driving Attorney Los Angeles to defend you and keep you from going to jail. Our attorneys have assisted countless individuals charged with reckless driving, often achieving successful outcomes for our clients.

CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED LOS ANGELES RECKLESS DRIVING ATTORNEY

If you or a loved one has been charged with reckless driving in Los Angeles or elsewhere in the State of California, you should immediately contact an experienced Los Angeles Reckless Driving Attorney at The H Law Group to defend you. Over the past decade, we have defended countless clients against reckless driving charges. So, we have gained a ton of invaluable experience and knowledge that we will use to defend you.

At the outset of every case, one of our experienced criminal defense attorneys will go over the facts of your case to determine whether a dismissal is possible. If he believes that a dismissal is possible, he will communicate this to the prosecutor. If the prosecutor refuses to dismiss your case, we will do all that we can to negotiate the best possible plea deal for you. Schedule your free consultation today by filling out the contact form below or by calling us at 1 (213) 370-0404.