Reckless Driving Defense Lawyer
Reckless driving is a serious criminal offense in Nevada. A conviction carries harsh penalties that could affect your driving privileges, finances, and freedom. Fortunately, help is available to you. An experienced reckless driving defense attorney from The Law Offices of Joel M. Mann could help you fight back.
Attorney Joel M. Mann believes that everyone deserves an aggressive defense, regardless of the charges they are facing. He has helped many other Nevada drivers charged with reckless driving to avoid the most severe penalties allowed by law. If you’ve been charged with reckless driving in Nevada, contact the Law Offices of Joel M. Mann to discuss your case.
What Is Reckless Driving?
You might be wondering, “What is considered reckless driving?” Reckless driving is a traffic violation that covers a range of driving actions and behaviors that put others at risk. Nevada law provides the following specific descriptions of reckless driving on public highways or roadways:
- Driving a vehicle in “willful or wanton disregard” for others’ safety
- Driving a vehicle in an unauthorized speed contest
- Organizing an unauthorized speed contest
- Driving a vehicle in an unauthorized trick driving display (performing tricks, stunts, or maneuvers that divert, slow, impede, or block traffic)
- Facilitating an unauthorized trick driving display
The following could also be considered reckless driving:
- Excessive speeding (more than 25 miles per hour over the speed limit)
- Speeding in certain areas, such as a school or construction zone
- Failing to stop when directed to do so by a police officer
- Evading the police
- Blatantly running a red light
- Unsafe lane changes, such as crossing more than one lane of traffic without using a proper signal
- Driving on the shoulder, curb, or median of a roadway
What counts as reckless driving depends on the circumstances and the likelihood of harm to others.
Reckless Driving Charges in Nevada
If you’ve been charged with reckless driving, you have an important decision to make: should you plead guilty and deal with the consequences, or fight the charge and hopefully get the charges reduced or dismissed?
What qualifies as reckless driving can be subjective, so there may be legal avenues for experienced reckless driving lawyers to fight the charge. For example, your lawyer might argue your actions did not actually constitute reckless driving or that an emergency required you to drive in such a manner. Or, your lawyer might challenge the accuracy of the police officer’s speed detection equipment or other details in their arrest report.
Misdemeanor vs. Felony Reckless Driving
Depending on the circumstances, reckless driving could be charged as a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, or felony. Most reckless driving violations are charged as misdemeanors. Violations involving an unauthorized trick driving display could be charged as a gross misdemeanor, which is more serious than a misdemeanor but less serious than a felony.
If reckless driving results in the death or “substantial bodily harm” to another person, the driver could be charged with a class B felony. Felonies carry far more severe punishments than misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors.
Punishment for Reckless Driving
The punishment for a reckless driving conviction could include a fine, jail time, community service, driver’s license suspension, or impoundment of any registered vehicle, depending on the specific details of each case.
The punishment for misdemeanor reckless driving may include one or more of the following:
- A fine of $250 to $2,000, depending on whether it is the first, second, third, or subsequent offense
- Imprisonment in county jail for up to 6 months
- 50 to 200 hours of community service
- Driver’s license suspension for 6 months to 2 years
- Impoundment of any registered vehicles for 15 to 30 days
- Demerit points to their driving record
Gross misdemeanors generally carry higher fines, more hours of community service, and/or more days in jail. Drivers convicted of gross misdemeanors may also have their license suspended and vehicle impounded.
Felony reckless driving carries a punishment of:
- 1 to 6 years in state prison
- A fine of $2,000 to $5,000
Furthermore, having a felony on your record can have long-lasting impacts on your job prospects, living options, and finances. People convicted of felonies may also lose the right to vote, hold office, serve on a jury, or own firearms.
After a reckless driving conviction, you may be able to have your record sealed so that potential employers or landlords cannot find out about it. In Nevada, there is a waiting period before you can ask a judge to seal the record, as follows:
- 1 year for misdemeanor reckless driving
- 2 years for gross misdemeanor reckless driving
- 5 years for felony reckless driving
Getting a criminal record sealed is a complicated, multi-faceted process that differs in each jurisdiction. It is helpful to work with a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney who can help you with all the necessary paperwork and procedures.
Do I Need a Lawyer for Reckless Driving?
If you are facing a reckless driving charge, you could fight back with the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. At The Law Offices of Joel M. Mann, our team has handled these types of cases in the past, and we’re confident we have the skills to represent you. Our goal will be to get the charges against you reduced or dropped, and we’ll do everything we can to secure the best possible outcome in your case.
The time to act is now, so call us for a confidential consultation today.
