Do I need to report this?

[SlinkyDink]

A couple weeks ago I received a ticket for reckless driving by speed in Virginia, which is a misdemeanor. I've spoken to a lawyer who says that since my speed was less than 20 over the speed limit (anything over 80, regardless of posted speed limit, is reckless driving in Virginia) and I have an otherwise clean driving record the charge will almost certainly be reduced to a regular speeding ticket.

My point of concern is that I was offered an acceptance this weekend, and after reading the admissions agreement I'm not sure if I have to report it or not. This is what it says:

"I further understand that I am required to report, within 5 business days, any arrests, fines, charges (pending and/or dropped), or convictions that may occur from the date of my signature on this document. Such report should be submitted to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs."

Does this mean I only need to report charges that are incurred after I sign the form? And I would only need to make a report if I'm ultimately found guilty of a misdemeanor? Or does it include anything pending at the time of signing?

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[ofthesaints]

Yes, you need to report this.

 

[Cotterpin]

You were offered an acceptance this weekend? Did you apply early decision?

 

[SlinkyDink]

You were offered an acceptance this weekend? Did you apply early decision?

No, I just got my application in at the very beginning of the cycle. It also helps that this school has very quick turn around with decisions after interviews.

 

[DasRacis]

No, I just got my application in at the very beginning of the cycle. It also helps that this school has very quick turn around with decisions after interviews.

Schools can't give acceptances until October 15th

What kind of school is this?

 

[Cotterpin]

No, I just got my application in at the very beginning of the cycle. It also helps that this school has very quick turn around with decisions after interviews.

I thought that the very first regular decision acceptances couldn't go out before October 15th.

 

[SlinkyDink]

Schools can't give acceptances until October 15th

What kind of school is this?

It's a DO school.

 

[Cotterpin]

It's a DO school.

Oh.

 

[Dr. Death]

Report it. The verbage is very clear. This would fall under the charges (pending and/or dropped) category.

 

[Xenith]

A speeding ticket is not a charge... its a fine. Nevertheless, report it because no one will care and its better to be honest.

 

[mimelim]

A speeding ticket is not a charge... its a fine. Nevertheless, report it because no one will care and its better to be honest.

This is not true. A speeding ticket can be a misdemeanor which is a charge. It depends on the state and local laws. This absolutely should be reported to the school. Not doing so is grounds for rescinding the offer.

 

[mimelim]

I asked my wife (district attorney), I was incomplete. Reckless driving can be a misdemeanor OR a felony, depending on the state. Many states have mandatory jail time for reckless driving convictions. While she was hesitant to make the blanket statement that no states have reckless driving as anything less than a misdemeanor, a brief look over each state laws would indicate that the vast majority have it as a minimum a misdemeanor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reckless_driving#State_Laws

 

[doapplicant2015]

OP, this will bite you worse if you don't report it vs. if you do. Report it immediately regardless of what happens in court to be safe

Not to mention your school specifically states fines/pending charges so it doesn't matter if this is a misdemeanor or not

 

[Fedekz]

A speeding ticket is not a charge... its a fine. Nevertheless, report it because no one will care and its better to be honest.

Are you a lawyer or a cop? I sure hope not.

He was charged with reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor in his state, like many others.

Also, some states consider speeding tickets to be a low level misdemeanor - that way it allows the officers to make an arrest for speeding that doesn't meet the reckless statues.

 

[PugsAndHugs]

Just report it. I highly doubt something like this will make them think of rescinding your acceptance.

 

[SlinkyDink]

Thanks guys. I was figuring that I would need to report it, but I just wanted to make sure. Obviously I have some deep, dark, neurotic fear that my acceptance will get taken away and destroy everything I've been working towards for the last decade 0_0, but rationally I know that probably won't happen for something that is essentially a glorified speeding ticket (lawyer's words, not mine).

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[Anomandaris]

If anybody at that school has ever driven through Virginia with out of state plates chances are they can empathize with your situation. They ticket outsiders like crazy. I got caught in a speeding trap and got a $178 ticket and was 1 mph from "reckless" driving, which was going 64 on a divided highway where the speed limit is 65 for the vast majority of its length except for a "town" where they abruptly lower it to 45 without any major curves or anything. Long story short I don't think anyone will think of you any differently if you report it.

Wtf they do that?! My fear as a Californian is driving in other states during my interviews. We routinely go 80-85+ on some our freeways and man is it a shock to see people driving like 55-65 in other states...

 

[lmn]

Wtf they do that?! My fear is a Californian is driving in other states during my interviews. We routinely go 80-85+ on some our freeways and man is it a shock to see people driving like 55-65 in other states...

Then drive the speed limit... You are only there for a very short time and don't know how enforcement is, why would you drive like that? Even if it was just a fine, why risk it when it is literally for like a day in that area? You should easily be able to plan out your timing so that you don't need to speed to make it to your hotel or interview on time.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

/

 

[Anomandaris]

Then drive the speed limit... You are only there for a very short time and don't know how enforcement is, why would you drive like that? Even if it was just a fine, why risk it when it is literally for like a day in that area? You should easily be able to plan out your timing so that you don't need to speed to make it to your hotel or interview on time.

Thank you for your patronizing reply as if I didn't know that. Merely expressed surprise they are so strict especially in a zone that is temporarily lower than it usually is. Any more advice on how I should live?

 

[704]

I say report it. Or it will come back to bite you. Plus it will probably put your conscience at ease knowing that you are not potentially hiding something.

Then drive the speed limit... You are only there for a very short time and don't know how enforcement is, why would you drive like that? Even if it was just a fine, why risk it when it is literally for like a day in that area? You should easily be able to plan out your timing so that you don't need to speed to make it to your hotel or interview on time.

Thank you for your patronizing reply as if I didn't know that. Merely expressed surprise they are so strict especially in a zone that is temporarily lower than it usually is. Any more advice on how I should live?

On another note you guys need to relax .

 

[Anomandaris]

I say report it. Or it will come back to bite you. Plus it will probably put your conscious at ease knowing that you are not potentially hiding something.

On another note you guys need to relax .

You're right (no sarcasm). Feeling super salty today due to some school specific threads...

 

[lmn]

Thank you for your patronizing reply as if I didn't know that. Merely expressed surprise they are so strict especially in a zone that is temporarily lower than it usually is. Any more advice on how I should live?

You're complaining about going for an interview for one day and not knowing that you can't drive 80-85+ without knowing if you're safe from getting pulled over or not. Even in California there are areas that do the exact same speed trap all the time, why would anyone drive 20+ mph over the speed limit in an area they don't know and not think it was a stupid idea?

 

[Anomandaris]

You're complaining about going for an interview for one day and not knowing that you can't drive 80-85+ without knowing if you're safe from getting pulled over or not. Even in California there are areas that do the exact same speed trap all the time, why would anyone drive 20+ mph over the speed limit in an area they don't know and not think it was a stupid idea?

Did you read the post? "My fear as a Californian is driving in other states during my interviews". Where did I complain about other states? I expressed surprise and fear. I then asked if what happened to rxdmx was commonplace. Get off your soapbox. Jeez

 

[lmn]

Did you read the post? "My fear as a Californian is driving in other states during my interviews". Where did I complain about other states? I expressed surprise and fear. I then asked if what happened to rxdmx was commonplace. Get off your soapbox. Jeez

You're acting so surprised that speed traps exist and that you have to worry about not being able to drive 20+ mph faster than the speed limit in other states? In any case chill out, this is seriously such a stupid subject that it isn't even remotely worth getting upset about.

 

[Anomandaris]

You're acting so surprised that speed traps exist and that you have to worry about not being able to drive 20+ mph faster than the speed limit in other states? In any case chill out, this is seriously such a stupid subject that it isn't even remotely worth getting upset about.

I'm acting surprised that speedtraps are enforced because they're not legal in California, and pardon me if I've never spent a whole lot of time in states besides California. Is that so hard to understand or imagine?

 

[lmn]

I'm acting surprised that speedtraps are enforced because they're not legal in California, and pardon me if I've never spent a whole lot of time in states besides California. Is that so hard to understand or imagine?

Spend some time driving through smaller towns in the central valley or through king city and you'll see areas with peculiar quick speed drops that are very heavily and strictly enforced that greatly resemble "speed traps" even though they are careful to do it in ways that avoids the legal definition of a speed trap. Touch anywhere near 5+ mph over the speed limit in those changes and they will be happy to ticket you since they know almost nobody will go through the effort of trying to fight a ticket in their random city.

Let's put this topic to rest in any case, getting way too off topic for OP's question.

 

[mrspecialist]

Yes, you have to report it; better now, then later

 

[Anomandaris]

Spend some time driving through smaller towns in the central valley or through king city and you'll see areas with peculiar quick speed drops that are very heavily and strictly enforced that greatly resemble "speed traps" even though they are careful to do it in ways that avoids the legal definition of a speed trap. Touch anywhere near 5+ mph over the speed limit in those changes and they will be happy to ticket you since they know almost nobody will go through the effort of trying to fight a ticket in their random city.

Let's put this topic to rest in any case, getting way too off topic for OP's question.

I grew up in the Central Valley. You take those tickets to court and the CHP won't even show up because they know they won't win. Maybe try understanding someone's perspective before you jump on them with your patronizing attitude and comments next time.

 

[lmn]

I grew up in the Central Valley. You take those tickets to court and the CHP won't even show up because they know they won't win. Maybe try understanding someone's perspective before you jump on them with your patronizing attitude and comments next time.

Man read my whole post next time, CHP/local police don't go after locals for that specific reason. Again chill out dude, I know you're going through the app cycle stress but relax, I only said the idea of going 20+ in a new town for a 1 day interview would be reckless and stupid, not that you were stupid.

OP: I think you got a lot of good advice to report it, schools understand things like speeding tickets happen, just do a good job of explaining it and work to get it cleared to a fine asap and update them accordingly. Best of luck.

 

[Dr. Death]

I grew up in the Central Valley. You take those tickets to court and the CHP won't even show up because they know they won't win. Maybe try understanding someone's perspective before you jump on them with your patronizing attitude and comments next time.

I'm on your side man. I don't know why these idiots are jumping on you for no reason. I'm from Utah. In Utah I drive 70 but in California I drive 85-100 because the police are few, far between and have better things to do. Where at in the valley? I lived in Visalia and Modesto for a while.

 

[tenblackalps]

SDN really is turning into a forum about how fast we drive

 

[Anomandaris]

I'm on your side man. I don't know why these idiots are jumping on you for no reason. I'm from Utah. In Utah I drive 70 but in California I drive 85-100 because the police are few, far between and have better things to do. Where at in the valley? I lived in Visalia and Modesto for a while.

I moved around a lot during my childhood (3 countries, can't even count how many cities), but I spent a good ~6 years in Tracy where I went to HS (THS, not West, god forbid haha). Where's Visalia? I used to go to Modesto fairly frequently! Did you ever go to the Asparagus festival in Stockton?

Yeah, I'm not sure why all the hate either. Honestly anyone who's lived in California and been to other states should know that California's average speeds are nowhere close to other states. I've just never seen a trooper/cop be so darn strict about it in another state.

 

[Spector1]

report it to be on the safe side. You don't want to jeapordize a good thing

 

[ImmunoLove]

report it, and don't make it a big deal..

 

[moisne]

@Anomandaris another defensive, overly reactive pre-med!
Is it trolling if I call one out every time I see one?

OP - so... what happened?

 

[Anomandaris]

@Anomandaris another defensive, overly reactive pre-med!
Is it trolling if I call one out every time I see one?

OP - so... what happened?

Another high horse! Moving on.

 

[Oh_Gee]

Wtf they do that?! My fear as a Californian is driving in other states during my interviews. We routinely go 80-85+ on some our freeways and man is it a shock to see people driving like 55-65 in other states...

especially when you're on a 1 lane highway in other states...

 

[SlinkyDink]

OP - so... what happened?

I'm still getting my deposit together and my paperwork packet notarize and ready to send in, so I haven't reported it yet. I'll probably send a letter to the Dean of student affairs when I get my acceptance packet sent out.