Reckless Driving Attorney

If you’ve been arrested for reckless driving in St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, Clearwater, or Bradenton, you need an experienced and aggressive attorney for your case. At Clark Hartpence Law, we have proceeded to trial on numerous reckless driving cases and argued many motions related to arrests.

Reckless driving is a serious offense and, without the proper representation, can often lead to jail time and license suspension. That’s because the ruling is highly dependent on the circumstances of each individual case. So, it’s vital that you’re presenting the right evidence to result in the best outcome possible.

Examples of Reckless Driving

Reckless driving occurs when you or another driver acts in a reckless manner. This can include breaking one or more traffic laws. Reckless driving often leads to serious accidents. Some of the most common examples of reckless driving include:

• Speeding or driving too fast — dependent on the current conditions of the road
• Excessive lane changing
• Improper passing — including driving on the shoulder or failing to signal
• Neglecting to stop at a traffic light or stop sign

Penalties for Reckless Driving

Penalties for reckless driving in Florida depend on the number of offenses you’ve previously had and whether property damage or personal injury occurred. They can range from misdemeanors to a third-degree felony:

• First offense with no bodily injuries or property damage results in a second-degree misdemeanor — this includes a $500 fine and penalties of up to 90 days in jail or six months of probation
• Second or subsequent offenses without bodily injuries or property damage results in a second-degree misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine
• If property damages or injuries occur, it’s considered a first-degree misdemeanor — which is punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail or 12 months of probation
• If serious bodily injuries occur, it’s a third-degree felony — resulting in a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison or five years of probation

If you’re convicted of reckless driving, you also face the possibility of a license suspension and up to four points added to your license. This can last a minimum of 30 days, but lengthier suspensions — and even permanent license revocation — is also possible.

How an Attorney Can Help

Since so many factors can impact the results of your trial, it’s important that you have a knowledgeable and experienced attorney by your side. We’ll work quickly during the discovery process to ensure we have all the information we need to get you the best outcome possible. We’ll fight to lessen your penalties. For example, we can argue for probation in place of jail time. And, if your trial results in probation, we can argue that a license suspension would prevent you from being able to continue working.