What Can I Expect with My Traffic Case in Charlottesville?

Traffic cases are heard in Charlottesville on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. There are no interstate highways running through the City of Charlottesville so most cases are simple speeding cases..

Who Is the Judge?

Your Charlottesville traffic case will be heard by Judge Robert Downer. He has been presiding in Charlottesville for many years and has fairly predictable traffic court policies.

Reckless Driving Tickets

If you're charged with reckless driving in Charlottesville, Judge Downer will often reduce reckless driving tickets when you are very close to twenty miles per hour over the speed limit. So if your ticket is reckless driving by speed for going 46 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone, Judge Downer will likely reduce the charge to a simple speeding ticket.

Speedometer Calibrations

Judge Downer considers speedometer calibrations in reckless driving and speeding cases. A speedometer calibration can help get your ticket reduced.

Driving School/Driving Improvement Courses

In almost all cases, Judge Downer does not consider driving improvement courses. If you complete a driving improvement course before court, Judge Downer is unlikely to give that any consideration. In some accident cases, Judge Downer will order you to complete a driving course, but completing a course before court is very unlikely to make a difference in your case.

Speeding Tickets

If you've been charged with speeding in Charlottesville, Judge Downer does not consider a clean driving record, driving school, or most other considerations. He will convict you as charged unless you can show that your speedometer was incorrect. If your speedometer was incorrect, he will reduce the ticket only by the amount the speedometer was off. In the vast majority of cases, 99.9%, it is a waste of time to come to court for a speeding ticket in Charlottesville. My advise is to pay it online.