Whether you receive a traffic ticket in Leesburg,  Fairfax, Manassas or any other jurisdiction in Virginia, there are many defense strategies that can lead to a successful defense. Spotting legal issues and using those is key to a successful defense. Below are some of the more common issues in traffic ticket cases.

CALIBRATION OF THE RADAR/LIDAR EQUIPMENT:

In Virginia, if you are charged with a speeding ticket, the prosecutor has to prove that you were in fact traveling at the alleged speed. This is traditionally accomplished by the officer or deputy testifying as to the reading they received on their radar or LIDAR equipment. However, before the officer can testify about the specific reading they have to prove that the equipment was properly calibrated. Virginia law requires specific compliance with the statutes governing calibration and failure to comply with those statutes can mean that the reading is not admissible in court against you. Thomas Rock, is well versed in the law surrounding calibration and the arguments needed to keep the radar and LIDAR readings from being admitted into evidence against you at trial.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE SPEEDING VEHICLE:

Oftentimes when a person is issued a ticket for speeding, they are not alone on the road. There may be many other cars traveling with them. How does the officer in fact know that it was your car that was speeding? Challenging the identification of the speeding vehicle is a defense strategy Thomas Rock has used numerous times to help his clients win their cases at trial.

SPEEDOMETER ISSUES:

Sometimes a person believes they are traveling a certain speed but due to defects in their equipment, their vehicle is in fact traveling much faster. In those cases, it is helpful to have the vehicle’s speedometer calibrated ahead of time and use the results to help prove that the person in fact believed they were traveling at a legal speed.

IMPROPERLY SIGNED ROADWAYS:

One element that must be proven in all speeding cases, whether it is in a 25 or 70 mile per hour zone is that the roadway had properly erected speed limit signs that strictly comply with the statutes and that those signs are in a place where a driver can in fact see them. Challenging signage can be complex and requires knowledge of the statutory requirements for posting different speed limits in Virginia. Thomas Rock has extensive experience in successfully raising those issues to defend his clients.