Reducing a DUI Charge to Reckless Driving in Pennsylvania

Did you know a DUI charge in Pennsylvania may be reduced to a Reckless Driving charge?

It’s true! If handled properly, certain DUI cases may simply result in a Reckless Driving conviction. While no conviction is ideal, avoiding a DUI on your permanent record may save you and your family from future anxiety. A Reckless Driving conviction may help avoid difficulty with future employment. The fines you’ll face will also be much less than if you were convicted of DUI. A Reckless Driving offense will also prevent a repeat DUI conviction if you were to had any prior or will have any in the future.

When your insurance company finds out that you have a DUI conviction, one of two things will happen: either your rates will sky rocket or they’ll cancel your coverage altogether. Both are bad options. But with a Reckless Driving conviction, your insurance coverage may only increase slightly and it’s unlikely that they’ll cancel your policy.

How it works

With an experienced DUI defense attorney on your side you stand a much better chance of having your DUI charge reduced to a less severe offense of Reckless Driving. But this should only be an option if it’s determined that you won’t win  your case if it goes to trial. Essentially what happens with a Reckless Driving charge is that you enter into a plea bargain with the prosecution. By pleading guilty to Reckless Driving, you’ll in turn face less severe penalties. Keep in mind, it is not up to the judge presiding over your case to make this decision, but rather the prosecution. They are the ones who brought the DUI claim against you and they are the only ones that can amend your charge.

Why would the prosecution enter into a plea bargain?

If your attorney exposes weaknesses in their case, it’s likely they’ll want to enter into a plea bargain rather then face losing at trial. From disputing the results of your chemical test to ensuring that police had probable cause, an experienced DUI defense attorney will know how to expose any such weaknesses.