Fines Going Up on I-81?

According to an article in the Daily News Record, there is an effort to designate part of Interstate 81 in Page and Shenandoah County as a Highway Safety Corridor, due to some recent serious accidents.

If approved, the designation of a Highway Safety Corridor by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth would impose doubled fines for speeding, reckless driving, and other traffic citations in that area. There is a full analysis process that must be completed before such a designation is approved.

There has been spate of serious accidents along that stretch of I-81, many involving tractor trailers, whose drivers are a primary target of Highway Safety Corridor enforcement penalties.

Reckless driving fines range from $300-$500, so doubling that fine is significant. Of course, a reckless driving offense is also a criminal charge, so the implication of a reckless conviction are far beyond the substantial costs involved.

UPDATE: Another good story on this stretch of -I81 and the rate of accidents in the Northern Virginia Daily here.

Thousands of Motorists Across Virginia Charges and Cited in Traffic Crackdown

Over the July 9-10 weekend, the Virginia State Police ticketed over 8000 motorists in another installment of "Operation Air, Land and Speed". The massive effort and enhanced patrols across Interstate 95 and 81 also resulted in more than 700 criminal citations for reckless driving, as well as drug violations, DUI charges, and felony arrests.

The Superintendent of the Virginia State Police made the claim that they wish there were no police traffic stops, since that would indicate that all drivers were observing posted speed limits and maintaining safe driving habits. But that claim is hard to believe, given that number of citations raises about a million dollars for the state. Not to mention the hours of police overtime (paid for by the federal government) that these extra police patrols generate.

If you are caught up in one of these enhanced traffic enforcement campaigns, or face any Virginia criminal traffic charge, please contact us today for a legal case evaluation, and an honest assessment of what you can do to protect your record, your driver's license, and your wallet.

Virginia Corrections Officer Sentenced for Drug Charge

A former Hampton Roads Regional Jail guard was recently sentenced for an offense that left him unemployed and on the other side of the jail cell bars. Once tasked with guarding convicts, William McKnight Jr. will now be spending some years in the state prison sentence.

According to the Associated Press, the 57 year old man was caught bringing controlled substances into the jail where he worked. The illegal drug trade is alive and well in America’s jails and prisons and oftentimes the people supplying the goods are the professionals paid to be there.

In a plea agreement, McKnight pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute an imitation controlled substance. The prosecution declined to pursue the more serious charge of introducing controlled substance into a penal institution.

Judge Johnny E. Morrison sentenced the man to 5 years with all but 2 suspended. This means that Morrison will serve time in prison, followed by a period of supervised probation.
Drug charges can carry extremely serious penalties. Suspended sentences are somewhat common, however, for first time non-violent offenders. A suspended sentence means that the offender will serve probation in lieu of jail time.

If McKnight violates this term of probation, however he could be sent back to jail. A sentence “activation” can occur, by the order of a judge, when a probationer or parolee violates any of the rules set forth.

Although probation is no walk in the park, it is seriously preferable to serving active time. Studies show that having representation can increase your chance of getting a suspended sentence. If you are facing Virginia criminal charges and want to know what penalty you may be facing, call me for a consultation on your case.

DUI Arrests in Virginia Beach Exceed State Average

According to an article in the Virginian-Pilot, Virginia Beach accounts for 9% of the state's DUI arrests, with only 6% of the population. The raw numbers are: 2321 arrests for DUI in Virginia Beach last year, which is nearly twice as many drunk driving arrests made by officers in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Portsmouth combined.

Officers attribute these facts to the "party atmosphere" in the city, particularly in the Oceanfront area with many bars.

Of course, just because more people are arrested for DUI in Virginia Beach doesn't mean that the actual incidences of drunk driving are necessarily higher. A significant factor could be more aggressive patrols and enforcement. It's entirely likely that more people who drive while intoxicated in Virginia Beach are pulled over and prosecuted then in other parts of the state.

The Virginia Beach police department has a dedicated DUI enforcement team, and those officers receive an additional 40 hours of training specific to DUI arrests, which includes spotting potential impaired drivers, field sobriety test administration, and breath test machine operation.

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If you are arrested on a DUI charge in Virginia Beach, please contact us for a free case evaluation and defense consultation. There are always options to defend your rights and work to protect your driver's license.

More on the proposed DUI legislation

2/27/08 - More on the proposed DUI legislation: The bill currently being worked on in the Virginia Senate would increase penalties for teenagers who are convicted of drunk driving. If a driver is 16, 17, or 18, they would automatically lose their driver's license for one year.