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Penalties of an Arlington Hit and Run

An Arlington hit and run charge can be incredibly severe. Although sometimes only a misdemeanor offense, hit and run charges can escalate into felony charges very quickly. These consequences of an Arlington hit and run can cause both emotional and financial burdens on any individual charged with such an offense all making it important an Arlington hit and run lawyer is consulting to assist in minimalizing any and all possible penalties associated with your charge.

Severity of Hit and Run Charges

If a person is charged with a misdemeanor hit and run that only caused property damage, they should consult with an attorney because it is possible that the misdemeanor, depending on the amount of damage to the car, could easily be amended to a felony. Sometimes, that happens when a prosecutor receives more information from the officer on the day of court, or the victim in the case brings in more information after the fact. Once the amount of damage reaches $1,000, it will get bumped up to a felony.

Furthermore, even a misdemeanor offense will stay on an individual’s record forever. It will have an effect on their driving record by causing demerit points to be added if convicted. If the hit and run affected an unattended car and caused over $500 in damage, the case will remain a misdemeanor charge, and the DMV will add more demerit points.

Penalties

Depending on whether somebody is charged with a felony or a misdemeanor, the penalties of an Arlington hit and run will change as such. For a misdemeanor hit and run, if the vehicle was not attended and there was less than $250 property damage, the individual will be charged with a misdemeanor, carrying a maximum of 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine.

Depending on how much damage occurred, a hit and run could be charged under the felony statute. At this stage, the person will face a much larger fine as well as potential restitution, or a longer jail sentence. The problem is that when somebody is charged with a hit and run, there are many different ways that the case can go depending on the specific facts. For example, if somebody’s hit and run charge includes property damage to the other vehicle, worth over $500, the court can suspend that person’s driver’s license for up to six months as a consequence.

If a hit and run charge results in death or injury, under the Virginia code, there is going to be a mandatory license revocation. It depends on the nature of the charges and the facts that have to do with the case.

Other Factors

The severity of the penalties of an Arlington hit and run are determined by whether the car was occupied or not at the time, whether there was injury to another person in the other vehicle, or if there was property damage to the vehicle. Other considerations include how severe the injury was, if the other person died as a result, and whether the property damage was worth more or less than a certain amount.

Non-Criminal Consequences

One non-criminal consequence that somebody will be subjected to if convicted of a hit and run will include points on their license from the DMV. If they are convicted of a hit and run.

  • Of an unattended vehicle, there will be three points on their license.
  • Of an unattended car, but the damage is over $500, there will be four points on their license that will stay for 11 years.
  • With injury or death to the other person, there will be six demerit points on their record and that will stay for 11 years.

Additionally, driver’s license suspension and revocation are often consequences of a hit and run conviction. Depending on whether or not the person is charged with a misdemeanor or felony, they can go from having their license suspended from six months to having it revoked, depending on what they are convicted of. With points, insurance cost will certainly go up.

Hiring an Attorney

A person should hire a criminal defense attorney as soon as they possibly can, in order to reduce any penalties of an Arlington hit and run. The sooner that an attorney is able to work on the case, the more likely it is that they’ll have adequate time to prepare a robust defense that can help produce the best outcome possible.

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