I was driving on a suspended license my friend said he was driving. He got a DUI. I left the scene of the accident. If I say I drove. What will happen
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
I was driving on a suspended license my friend said he was driving. He got a DUI. I left the scene of the accident. If I say I drove. What will happen
Asked on May 30, 2009 under Accident Law, Virginia
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 15 years ago | Contributor
You are both in trouble. First off your friend lied to the police and as a result a false police report was filed. This is deemed a Class1 misdemeanor. Under Virginia law, depending on what you are charged with, he could also face charges as an accessory-after-the-fact, which is also a Class 1 misdemeanor. Class 1 misdemeanors are punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and up to a $2,500 fine.
As for you, where to begin? You drove on a suspended license which, assuming that this is your first offense, is punishable up to 12 months in jail, up to a $2,500 fine, and another license suspension. If it's not your first offense all the penalties are enhanced.
As for leaving the scene of an accident - if someone was injured or there was property damage in excess of $1,000 then it a Class 5 felony; if there was no injuries or the property damage was $1,000 or less than it is a Class 1 misdemeanor. A Class 5 felony is punishable by up to ten years incarceration - for up to 12 months time to be served in county jail, for 1 year up to 10 years time to be served in a Virginia Department of Corrections prison facility. There is also a fine up to $2,500. If the offense is treated as a Class 1 misdemeanor, as I outlined above, it is punishable by up to 12 months in county jail and up to a $2,500 fine.
Remember, there may well be other criminal charges to be filed pursuant to Virginia law not to mention your civil liability for any injury and/or property damage.
You are facing potentially serious charges here. You need to speak with a criminal attorney ASAP. You've created a mess and he'll advise you on how best to sort all of this out. Don't say anything to the police without having a lawyer present with you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.