Arizona Speeding Ticket Lawyer

Criminal speeding is a class 3 misdemeanor offense under the Arizona criminal code. A person can be found guilty of criminal speeding if the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that they exceeded the posted speed limit by twenty miles per hour (20 mph). It is also considered criminal speeding to exceed thirty-five miles per hour if you are approaching a school zone (35 mph).  

An example of criminal speed is where a person is driving 85 mph on the freeway in which the posted speed limit is 65 mph. It is recommended when facing any criminal charges in Arizona to enlist the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney. Attorney Smith is based in Scottsdale, and has extensive experience defending cases in the courts of Maricopa County. 

A criminal speed violation in Arizona is a class 3 misdemeanor. This is the lowest level of misdemeanor in the Arizona criminal code. However, every criminal conviction carries consequences and a permanent criminal record. In the event of a conviction for criminal speed, the possible maximum punishment for a class 3 misdemeanor is 30-days jail maximum, a $500 fine, and 1 year maximum probation.

The collateral consequences of a criminal speeding conviction can be very damaging for people who hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or for those who require a clean driving record for their employment. Many employers require disclosure of any criminal traffic convictions and a conviction can unfortunately cost a person their job. This is one reason that it is so important to enlist the help of an experienced Arizona criminal speeding attorney to defend your case.

The Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) will assess points against a person's driving record if they are convicted of a criminal traffic offense. Criminal speeding is worth the same amount of points as civil speeding, which is three points (3). 

If you get twelve (12) or more points assessed against your driver's license in a twelve month period, the MVD will suspend your privilege to drive for a full year. Eligible persons may complete Traffic Survival School in lieu of the suspension.

It is important to contact an Arizona criminal speeding attorney skilled in criminal traffic law, such as criminal speeding lawyer Dave Smith to review your options and defend your case. Mr. Smith will work aggressively for the best possible outcome for your case. 

Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, there are some favorable possible outcomes if charged with a criminal speed violation such as getting the case dismissed, reduced charges to a civil speeding ticket, or entering into a diversion program.

Diversion Program: Defensive Driving School

Arizona offers a diversion program for criminal speeding called Defensive Driving School. If successfully completed, the criminal speeding case will be dismissed and the MVD will not assess the three (3) points to the person’s driving record for speeding. That means the person avoids a conviction for a class 3 misdemeanor, which is a very favorable result. 

Unfortunately, the diversion program is only available at the discretion of the court on a case by case basis. However, Mr. Smith has successfully advocated for Defensive Driving School diversion for his clients, which is a big win. Attorney Smith is a skilled speeding ticket lawyer and is prepared to help you today.