On Tuesday of this week and then on Wedneday and Thursday (September 23, 24 and 25) I drove on I-95 and I-64 plus the Chippenham Parkway and had never seen so many State Police on the roads for a week that was not the last week of the month.

So I asked a State Police friend why there were so many troopers out on the road and he told me the Academy just had a graduation.

So you all be careful out there as if Virginia is like other states the new troopers are on patrol, applying their newly learned skills.

As for me, I am very glad to have them on the highways and by-ways trying to bring some safety to the most dangerous place in the United States: an interstate highway.  

I bet they are eager to write that first ticket too!  

Virginia is especially tricky for speeders,...listen to this.

Michelle was driving back from Florida.  Was stopped for speeding, 16 mph over.  It turns out, anything over 15 mph is a FELONY misdemeanor.  It's in the fine print.

So anyway, to her, it's a speeding ticket.  Cop says it is mail-in-able so she takes it and continues on home.  She gets home and calls for the amount.  $108.  CHEAP she figures, for 16 mph over, she was thinking $300-500.  So, she mails in the check immediately and assumes it's all said and done.

A yr later, she is applying for a $145k job at Florida light and power.  They said she has the job , just has to wait for the score to come back from the credit people.  They have 1 company that handles the BCI check, drug testing, etc.  So she has her figures crossed, thinking that she did take some of her roommates vicodens when she threw her back out a few months before.  They said she would know by the end of the week.  End of week, no call.  2 weeks, no call, so she calls them.  Assuming she failed the drug test.

Nope.  Turns out, she never disclosed that she was a convicted felon.  You see, by checking the box on the ticket that says "pay by mail", you need to read the asterix.  The asterix says that to choose the mail in option, you must plead guilty.  

So essentially, she pled guilty to a felony.  

Nice, huh?  No $145k for you!!  Thanks Va. !!

Check it out, it's all over the net, similar stories by similar people losing out on similar situations.  ACLU won't even touch it yet.  

There's a great way to avoid speeding tickets.

Don't speed.

A felony charge for a speeding ticket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is totally not-right!!!!!!!!!!!!

Burley , don't you have just a little compassion ????????????

Russ, what was she charged with? I would imagine reckless driving would be the most probable criminal offense in that situation but that is not a felony, it is just a class 1 misdemeanor.

There's a great way to avoid speeding tickets.

Don't speed.

Speed limits have been the same since the days of the Model T.  Speeding of 10 mph over the limit is expected in some areas. I can't imagine it being considered a felony except maybe if you broke 100mph.  I know on my commute in Mass the only time I see a state cop when I'm doing 10-15mph over the speed limit is when they're on my tail wanting me to move over so they can go 80 - 90 MPH.    

Sorry, had to wait till she got home.  She was charged with a class 1 misdemeanor, the issue was that she had no idea she was pleading guilty to anything other than a speeding ticket.  So when the credit thingy came back, they score MORE points for omissions (like misdemeanors,lol) than if you tell the truth.  In other words, had she known, she could have put it on the application and still gotten the job because they would look it up and see it was "speeding", instead, by omitting, you are viewed as a liar which gets you many more points deducted.

Either way, it cost her that job.

And yes Burley, we realize this, too bad you weren't around for all those years of college, you could have been a great help stating the obvious for everyone.  

Sorry, had to wait till she got home. She was charged with a class 1 misdemeanor, the issue was that she had no idea she was pleading guilty to anything other than a speeding ticket. So when the credit thingy came back, they score MORE points for omissions (like misdemeanors,lol) than if you tell the truth. In other words, had she known, she could have put it on the application and still gotten the job because they would look it up and see it was "speeding", instead, by omitting, you are viewed as a liar which gets you many more points deducted.

Either way, it cost her that job.

And yes Burley, we realize this, too bad you weren't around for all those years of college, you could have been a great help stating the obvious for everyone.

Oh ok, gotcha, that makes a lot more sense. It still sucks, but a felony didn't sound right. Did she read the summons? It has a big long paragraph about waiving of a trial (plea of guilty) right above where you sign it.

You know how it is,......look for the box to check,..... stuff in a check...... :

Lesson learned

There's a great way to avoid speeding tickets.

Don't speed.

x2

In Virginia, going 80 + MPH is a felony.

Just like if you murdered someone.

My wife told me this is what the instructor told the class when she attended a Virginia Safe Driving Class to have a small speeding ticket removed from her record a few years ago.

I Like the fact that there are plenty of Virginia's State Police out patroling our highways.

with all the laws on the books these days, it's not too hard to be a technical criminal.

funny how a handful of bankers can bring the economy of the most powerful nation on earth to it's knees, and it's legal, but some young woman pays a speeding ticket and is now a criminal.  :-/

Being stupid isn't always a crime being negligent usually is........

On Tuesday of this week and then on Wedneday and Thursday (September 23, 24 and 25) I drove on I-95 and I-64 plus the Chippenham Parkway and had never seen so many State Police on the roads for a week that was not the last week of the month.

So I asked a State Police friend why there were so many troopers out on the road and he told me the Academy just had a graduation.

So you all be careful out there as if Virginia is like other states the new troopers are on patrol, applying their newly learned skills.

As for me, I am very glad to have them on the highways and by-ways trying to bring some safety to the most dangerous place in the United States: an interstate highway.

What a coincidence! I was at my sister in law's graduation from the Criminal Justice Academy in Northern VA on the Thursday prior. Lots of new fairfax county cops goin out there.