In Maryland, speeding over 30 MPH is now considered reckless driving. It is a jailable misdemeanor, allowing for up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Whether you receive any jail time will depend on a couple of different factors:
- Your driving record.
- And if you were speeding, how fast you were going.
- Was there an accident?
- The judge and prosecutor assigned to your case.
How many prior tickets have you had?
Your chances of going to jail for reckless driving will drop significantly if you have a clean driving history. If you are an out-of-state driver, you should be prepared to produce a driving record from your local DMV. That being said, a clean record will not guarantee that you will not go to jail. It will also depend on the county where you were caught speeding. There are courts that will still give you a weekend or 2 in jail if you were going fast enough – even with a fairly clean record.
If you were speeding, how fast were you going?
As a rule, your chances of jail will increase along with your captured speed. Typically, once you hit triple digits (100 MPH +), some judges will consider jail time and will want to take a careful look at your past driving habits. For example, a person driving 91 MPH, but having a perfectly clean record, will have a lower chance of seeing jail time. On the other hand, a person traveling at 110 MPH that has a driving record which reflects an habitual speeding offender, may very well spend a weekend in jail.
A word about community service.
Performing community service prior to your court date may lower your chances of incarceration. A skilled Maryland traffic lawyer can give you guidance on where and how much community service to perform.
Home Monitoring.
In extreme cases, your traffic attorney may suggest that you pre-qualify with a home detention service. This would require you to wear an ankle monitor. Your movements would be limited. Most likely you would need to stay in your residence, leaving only to go to work and possibly out for necessities. A home monitoring service is a good option for people who would lose their job if they were gone for a prolonged period.
Benefits of hiring a skilled traffic lawyer…
- Lawyers know how to negotiate with prosecutors.
- Lawyers understand the law.
- Lawyers understand the rules of court.
- Lawyers know when to settle and when to take a case to trial.