Reckless Driving Ticket in Connecticut

[CarFanatic]

My question involves a reckless driving ticket from the State of: CT

My story begins at a two-way road in a small Connecticut town. I am at a stop light with my brother in the other lane. He got a new car and he wanted to show off so naturally, the light turns green he floors it and the tires chirp from his car...I smile and accelerate briskly but only to forty-five or so (speed limit is 40 on the road). He's in front of me and as soon as I round the corner up ahead I see a cop. I think nothing of if because he couldn't see us and I didn't do anything.

About 1000 ft from the policeman's car is a highway on-ramp that we get on so I can drop off my friend back at the parking lot where they left their car at. My brother and I both get on the highway and accelerate to 68-70 (this is on a 55 speed limit road). As I pass my brother, I give him a little jester-ly rev (I kinda way to go type of rev) and continue on my way.

At this point I am about quarter mile...maybe more in to the highway and I see a car pull on to the highway that looks like a police car but just continue going. I continue driving for another 3/4 of a mile and get off the exit that leads to the parking lot where my friend is parked but don't really see that car coming up fast or behind me (there are lot of bends on this stretch of the highway) so I think I am in the clear. The parking lot is about 1/2 mile from the exit and two turns away. I pull in and drop my friend off and give her a hug goodnight and drive off to entrance of the parking lot where I see a police car (looks like the same one that was near the highway on-ramp -- probably because it was from the same town) pull into the lot. He turns out, I exit the lot and he turns his lights on and I pull over.

As soon as he pulled me over, I turned off the car, put the keys on the dash and put the parking break up. 30 seconds later, two more officers show up and 15 seconds after that, someone goes to my window and asks me to step out of the car. Cops put me towards the police cruiser, search me and arrest me and tell me that I being arrested for reckless driving. During this, I have my mouth shut because I don't want to rattle the cages (the cops were really nice btw). I am then escorted to the back of the cruiser where another officers asks my age and if I had anything to drink and I politely provide him with that information. I spend a minute or so in the back seat of the car while another officer is looking inside my vehicle.

I am then driven to the bank to get bond money and then finally to the police station.

I'll skip the details of the police station experience but suffice it to say, I learn nothing about what happened. I then get asked how fast was I going to which I respond, "I don't know, I wasn't looking at my speedometer". The cop then says, "Well I know how fast I was going". And then I get asked again if I drank...to which I provide the same response I gave earlier"...the officer was probably trying to catch me slip.

And so now I am here asking for counsel on what to do. The lawyers that I talk to are saying that they want to charge me $1500 to do an AR and admit guilt. But I don't feel like their is substantial evidence of any recklessness or grounds for me to even claim guilt. Furthermore, the lawyer said he would have to charge more if I did a trial to fight it -- which is way more than I can afford.

The cop even told me in the police station that I should bring a check book to pay the fines for when they bring down the charges.

What are you're thoughts?

[Mr. Knowitall]

We obviously don't know all of what the officer saw, but you've described plenty of facts that would support a reckless driving conviction.

Going to trial is more expensive than plea bargaining, as it requires a lot more time and effort from your lawyer.