4 Common California Traffic Violations

You spend a great amount of time on the road alongside millions of other Southern California drivers. Unfortunately, this means you are at a greater risk for engaging in a road-related crime, intentional or not. Common California traffic violations such as reckless driving, hit and run speed contest and vehicular manslaughter all carry serious consequences under the California Vehicle Code. Helping you understand the rules governing these violations and guiding you through the legal process is our goal at Wallin & Klarich.

1) Reckless Driving

Reckless driving is defined by California Vehicle Code Section 23103 as driving with willful disregard for the safety of persons or property. CVC 23103 also defines reckless driving as driving a vehicle in an off-street parking facility with willful disregard for the safety of persons or property. This is a misdemeanor offense that can carry serious consequences.

Because of the danger that reckless driving brings to yourself and those around you, California law punishes those convicted either by fines or imprisonment, or both. If you are convicted of reckless driving, you can be fined up to $2,000 including penalty assessments and sentenced to up to 90 days in jail. If convicted, you can also receive two points on your driving record. It is important to contact a skilled and knowledgeable Wallin & Klarich attorney if you are facing reckless driving charges.

2) Hit and Run

If you have been involved in an accident that damaged another vehicle and you did not immediately present your identification and vehicle registration to the owner of the other vehicle, you may be charged with hit and run. If the owner of the property that you damaged was not present at the scene, you must provide a written notice with your name and contact information and put it in an obvious place for the owner to see.

Failing to comply with these rules can result in you being prosecuted for hit and run under California Vehicle Code Section 20002. Having representation from your attorney at Wallin & Klarich can help you avoid imprisonment and steep fines for this offense.

If you are convicted of misdemeanor hit and run, you face up to six months in prison and fines up to $1,000. If you are convicted of felony hit and run under CVC 20001(b)(2), you could be sentenced to up to four years in prison and fined up to $10,000. You will also have two points added to your DMV record, which can be avoided if our law firm is able to have the hit and run charges reduced or dismissed.

3) Speed Contest

Using your motor vehicle to race against another motor vehicle, a clock or some sort of timing device is considered a speed contest under California Vehicle Code Section 23109. Fines for an exhibition of speed conviction can reach $1,000 along with imprisonment in county jail for a period of up to 90 days. If you are convicted for speed contest, the DMV will also add two points to your driving record.

Moreover, if someone was injured or killed, these punishments can increase dramatically. With over 40 years of experience defending individuals accused of speed contest, the skilled attorneys at Wallin & Klarich can help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case.

4) Vehicular Manslaughter

California Penal Code Section 191.5 defines vehicular manslaughter as killing another human being without malice and with ordinary negligence while driving a vehicle. To be convicted of vehicular manslaughter, the prosecution must prove four things:

• While driving a vehicle you committed a misdemeanor;
• This misdemeanor or infraction was dangerous to human life under the circumstances;
• You committed this misdemeanor or infraction with ordinary negligence;
• The misdemeanor or infraction caused the death of another person.

If your actions while driving a vehicle are determined to be criminally negligent by the prosecution and another individual died as a result of your driving, you may be charged with vehicular manslaughter. This can be charged as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, or as a felony, which is punishable by two, four or six years in prison.

Call the Criminal Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich Today

If you are convicted of any of the crimes listed above, it will have a major impact on your life. The attorneys at Wallin & Klarich have been successfully defending our clients accused of these crimes for over 40 years.

With offices located in Orange County, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Torrance, Riverside, West Covina, Victorville, Ventura, San Diego and Sherman Oaks, Wallin & Klarich has an established reputation of providing its clients with round-the-clock support in Southern California. Let us protect you.

Call us at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 to discuss your case. We will be there when you call.