Weld County Attorney for Traffic Crimes
Even minor traffic crimes in Weld County, Colorado can have serious consequences on your license to drive. Convictions for three or four point traffic violations tend to pile up quickly and may lead to the suspension of your driver's license with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Additionally, a conviction for a moving violation can increase the premium on your driver's insurance policy. Adult drivers in Greeley, LaSalle, and Eaton who are over the age of twenty-one are given not more than twelve points within any twelve consecutive months, or eighteen points within any twenty-four consecutive months. Once a driver accumulates the twelve points in a year or eighteen points in two years, they are susceptible to having their license to drive in Colorado suspended. Drivers who are under 21 have fewer points to accumulate against their license within a year before suspension--no more than nine points for drivers over eighteen and only five points for drivers under eighteen.
- Careless Driving - C.R.S 42-4-1402
- DMV Point System
- Reckless Driving - C.R.S. 42-4-1401
- Vehicular Eluding - C.R.S. 18-9-116.5
- Vehicular Assault - C.R.S.18-3-205
- Vehicular Homicide - C.R.S.18-3-106
- Accidents Involving Death or Personal Injury
- Accidents Involving Damage
- Hit and Run / Duty to Report
- Eluding or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer - C.R.S. 42-4-1413
- Outstanding Judgment Warrant
- Driving Under Restraint
Commonly Charged Traffic Crimes
Careless Driving
You are in the car trying to get to an appointment, unsure of where you are going, and just as you are about to pass the street you are supposed to turn on, you take a sharp right. While it might not seem like a big deal, this small act could actually get you charged with Careless Driving. As with many traffic offenses, there are both DMV and criminal penalties involved in a Careless Driving conviction in Weld, Morgan and Logan County.
Reckless Driving
Most traffic accidents in Weld County are charged as either Careless Driving or Reckless Driving. A conviction for Reckless Driving alone will assess eight points against a driver's license. Couple that with a speeding ticket in the same year and a driver is likely to have their license suspended, making it nearly impossible to get to their job, drive their kids to school, or get to the grocery store. While traffic accidents are just that, accidental, their ramifications can sometimes be more serious than actually committing an intentional crime.
Vehicular Eluding
While a high-speed chase may seem exciting on TV, it is actually a serious crime in Colorado called Vehicular Eluding. Whether you are running away from the Greeley Police or a Colorado State Highway Patrol officer, anytime a person attempts to flee from a police officer pursuing them in a vehicle, Vehicular Eluding or Eluding a Police Officer may be charged.
