Frederick County Eluding an Officer Lawyer
If an officer signals for a driver to pull over by turning on their sirens and lights and that driver begins to drive recklessly or erratically in an attempt to evade the officer, the officer will likely cite that driver for attempting to elude an officer. Eluding an officer is a common offense in Frederick County as there are many open roads and highway accesses, both of which provide drivers with considerable space and opportunity to attempt to flee an officer.
However, if you are facing charges, an experienced traffic lawyer can help. An eluding an officer lawyer in Frederick County can build your defense and give you the best chance for a positive outcome in your case.
Traffic Charges
In order to convict an individual of attempting to elude an officer in Frederick County, a prosecutor must prove that the individual willfully failed to stop after an officer signaled them to do so. The penalties associated with this citation include a sentence of up to 12 months in jail, a fine, and the assessment 12 points on the individual’s license.
Eluding an officer is a traffic misdemeanor in Frederick County and, as such, is a ‘Must Appear’ citation, meaning that the individual is required to appear at a scheduled court hearing.
Common Misconceptions
An individual cannot be charged with eluding an officer if they purposely exit the highway after seeing a police officer clock their speed. The action of clocking an individual’s speed is not the same as signaling a driver to stop their vehicle. If an individual purposefully exits the highway after seeing a police officer clock their speed, such an action is not considered attempting to elude an officer unless that officer also signaled the individual to stop their vehicle.
The act of driving until it is safe to pull over is not considered attempting to elude an officer as it is not the individual’s intention to elude the officer. However, under such circumstances, the driver should turn on their hazard lights to notify the officer that they are aware of the officer’s presence and are waiting for a safe place to pull over.
Prosecution Treatment
Eluding an officer citations can, upon conviction, result in jail time, and prosecutors will prosecute these cases heavily in Frederick County. Prosecutors generally treat cases involving attempting to elude an officer seriously, as such actions create dangerous road conditions for other drivers and the involved officer. A Frederick County eluding an officer attorney is essential to mitigate this serious treatment.
Thus, any individual who has been cited with attempting to elude an officer in Frederick County should expect that their case will be taken seriously. Both the prosecutors and the judges in Frederick County have a desire to deter this type of behavior and, because of this, it is common for judges to give severe penalties to those who have been convicted.
Working with an Attorney
A Frederick County eluding an officer lawyer can help by appearing with their client at their scheduled court hearing. At this hearing, an experienced lawyer can cross-examine the officer and present any arguments on their client’s behalf, ultimately increasing the likelihood that the charge will be reduced or dismissed and the penalty lessened.