When choosing a Virginia lawyer to represent you in a traffic ticket case (or for any other reason), you need to establish that they possess integrity and honesty. One way to determine this is to see if they have been cited for any ethical or criminal infractions in Virginia. But how do you obtain that information?
Virginia State Bar
The Virginia State Bar is the agency which oversees the conduct of all attorneys in the Commonwealth. If you want to discover if a particular attorney has been sanctioned, suspended, or disbarred, you can go online and visit the agency's web site.
When the Virginia State Bar home page comes up, you will notice a search box near the top of the screen. You can type in a lawyer's name to see which search results are found and then click on them.
Sometimes, a link will display a copy of an actual VSB proceeding. If you find such a document, scroll down toward the bottom to read what decision was rendered in the case.
An Easier Way to View VSB Disciplinary Proceedings
If the "legalese" of the court document is confusing, there is another way to access the agency's database of disciplinary actions. Note the date of the court filing (near the beginning of the document) and then return to the VSB home page.
There is a light blue box in the middle of the homepage marked Resources, and the right column in the box is labeled For the Public. Clicking on the link entitled Disciplinary System Actions will bring you to another page where those actions are sorted by date in 6-month intervals.
Click on the appropriate link which matches the date of the court document you viewed earlier. The resulting pages will provide a quick summary of all disciplinary action taken by the agency during that time period.
For more information on examining the ethics of a potential attorney, read our article on How to Choose the Right Virginia Traffic Lawyer.
Obtaining a Lawyer for Traffic Tickets
As the state where driving is viewed under its laws as "a privilege, not a right," traffic law in Virginia can cause extraordinary inconveniences for those charged with any traffic violations.
When the punishment does not fit the crime, as is typically the case under Virginia's traffic laws, an experienced attorney may be needed. If you have been ticketed for reckless driving/speeding in Virginia, there is no time to waste! Get a free copy of Bob Battle's consumer guide, The Shocking Truth About Reckless Driving/Speeding in Virginia. Or, contact 804-673-5600 to schedule your legal consultation today.
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