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If this is your first offense, an experienced attorney can attempt to negotiate your sentence or try to reduce the Class One charge.
However, in Virginia, driving without a license is taken very seriously, and is considered a serious crime.
Hiring an attorney is important in this kind of case because regardless of first or second offense, the prosecuting attorney will most likely push for a Class One Misdemeanor charge.
The penalties of a Class One Misdemeanor include spending up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.
In addition to possible jail time and a fine, there are other penalties for driving when your license has been suspended or revoked by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
If your license was originally suspended, the Virginia DMV can add more time to your license suspension.
A conviction for driving on a suspended license also remains on your driving record for 11 years.
This will not only affect your insurance rates, but some potential employers also look at driving records while interviewing job candidates.
If you are looking for a job that involves driving, or requires a special license in order to complete your duties, chances are you will be overlooked as an employee if you have a conviction for driving on a suspended or revoked license.
The charge of driving on a suspended or revoked license is one of the most serious driving charges in Virginia.
However, if you did not have knowledge of the suspension or revocation, an experienced traffic attorney can assist you with your case, and hopefully have the charges dismissed.
If you claim you did not know about the suspension or revocation, your attorney will need to present proof to the court that you had no prior knowledge of the DMV's decision.
If the DMV claims that they sent the notice by certified mail, request a copy of the signature on the certified mail form.
The prosecuting attorney will ask the arresting officer if you indicated in any way that you knew your license was suspended.
If you did tell the officer that you had knowledge of the suspension or revocation, it will be difficult to prove that you actually did not know.
Whatever the circumstances, if you have been arrested and charged with this offense, it is imperative to contact an attorney.
Without one, you are less likely to have the charges dropped or the penalties reduced.
However, a skilled traffic attorney can assist you by negotiating to reduce the charges and by providing evidence, if found, that you did not know about your suspension.
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