NEPHI CITY/JUAB COUNTY RECKLESS DRIVING ATTORNEY JAKE GUNTER. CALL/TXT (801) 373-67345
Nephi City is the county seat of Juab County and has 6,600 people in 2020. Juab County has 12,155 people estimated by the census as of July 2021. Juab County has three courts:
(1). The Fourth Judicial District Court—Juab County.
(2). Juab County Justice Court and,
(3). Nephi City Justice Court.
I-15 brings a lot of out-of-state visitors to Utah for the ski season, especially at Sundance Resort just off the 800 North exit. If you are stopped for
Reckless Driving, call Attorney Jake Gunter. Often you can avoid court completely and pay a fine and close the matter. He strives to avoid court completely for out-of-state residents. See this article on how to deal with charges when you live out-of-state. https://provocriminaldefense.com/out-of-state-charges/
Tickets are common on I-15 or in town. Calling Juab County Reckless Driving attorney Jake Gunter can really help you. Normally a flat legal fee is charged to resolve the matter short of a jury trial. If you want your case to go to a jury trial, that is a an additional fee. You control whether your case goes to a jury.
Avoid having to go to court. Call Jake Gunter (801) 373-6345.
The cost of a Reckless Driving Misdemeanor “B” conviction on your record is generally well worth the flat attorney fee to avoid it. Reckless Driving Class B Misdemeanors can’t be expunged for 4 years unless you run a reduction motion to push the conviction to a Class C Misdemeanor, which is a 3 year waiting period to expunge.
Normally Juab/Nephi Reckless Driving attorney Jake Gunter can obtain a plea offer that you can live with. It clearly gets more expensive if you have to conduct a jury trial to beat the charge.
(1). Reckless Driving is charged as Class B Misdemeanor. (Not automatically expunged. 4 year waiting period) (2). 6 to 12 months information court probation. Non-reporting probation. (3). Up to 180 days jail max. Normally all jail is suspended. (4). Recommended bail schedule fine of $690, bail schedule. Oftentimes reduced even lower. (5). Insurance rates go up. (6). 80 points assigned to any Reckless Driving conviction. See info on Utah’s points system here: https://provocriminaldefense.com/utah-traffic-ticket-defense/ (7). 4 years waiting period to expunge. See this article on expungements HERE:
THE JUAB COUNTY JUSTICE COURT
The Juab County Justice Court is located at:
Juab County Justice Court160 N Main Street
Nephi, UT 84648
Phone: (435) 623-3440
Judge Barbara Finlinson is a relatively new judge and her official biography reads:
“Judge Barbara A. Finlinson currently serves the Juab County and Nephi City Justice Courts. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA from Utah Valley University in 2014. She earned a degree in the field of Communications and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Award representing UVU’s Communications Department. She graduated from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School in 2018. She was awarded the BYU Alumni and Clark Law School Replenishment Full Scholarship during her 3L year. Barbara worked as a law clerk at the Utah County Attorney’s office for two years. When admitted to the Utah State Bar in September 2018, she was hired as a deputy county attorney and practiced law as a prosecutor for three years. She served as the head prosecuting attorney in Provo’s Fourth District Court Mental Health Court program. While there, she worked to change screening protocols to allow easier program access for individuals struggling with mental illness. 7/22”
The Juab County Justice Court and Nephi City Justice Court only handles Misdemeanor Bs and below along with a Small Claims Department. Juab County Justice Court does not handle Class A Misdemeanors or above, those charges are filed in the Juab County 4th Judicial District Court.
You can read Utah’s statute on Reckless Driving below.
Effective 5/4/2022 41-6a-528. Reckless Driving — Penalty.
(1) A person is guilty of Reckless Driving who operates a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.
(2) For purposes of this section, “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property” includes:
(a) traveling on a highway at a speed of 105 miles per hour or greater; or [ADDED in 2021]
(b) committing three or more traffic violations under Title 41, Chapter 6a, Traffic Code, in a series of acts occurring within a single continuous period of driving covering three miles or less in total distance.
(3) A person who violates Subsection (1) is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
First time Reckless Driving offenders can, with the right attorney, get these charges reduced to speeding, or enter into a Plea in Abeyance. A deeper, cornerstone article on Pleas in Abeyance can be read here: https://provocriminaldefense.com/pleas-in-abeyance/
Pleas in Abeyance are dismissals after you successfully complete all terms of probation. PIAs don’t count towards the Utah points system and are not convictions. PIAs are a good deal.
Another great way to resolve Reckless Driving tickets is a straight plea to speeding, dropping the matter from a Misdemeanor B to and Infraction.
Prior to 2021 Reckless Driving didn’t have an exact speed that constituted Reckless Driving. Now if you are going over 105 miles per hour, police can give you a Reckless Driving ticket just for going 105 or more.
Reckless Driving is what the jury says it is and a good defense attorney can help let the jury know that that was just a case of speeding—not Reckless Driving.
If you are going even 30 miles over in a school zone in Nephi City or area clearly marked with handicap children, the jury may just murder you. If you are going 30 miles over on I-15 in Juab County, that would not be Reckless Driving. Depends on what the jury says is Reckless Driving. Currently any speeding over 105 mph is presumed Reckless Driving under the new law in 2021.
Unless you are awful to the police officer (never do that), you are generally not booked at the county jail. For Reckless Driving you normally just receive a citation which lists your actual speed and your charges.
On the middle left hand side of your Reckless Driving citation it reads you must call the court clerk not earlier than 5 days, no later than 14 days to set up a court hearing.
Utah Code 53-3-220 states that two Reckless Driving convictions within a 12 month period will suspend your Utah driver’s license. A Reckless Driving conviction combined with a DUI like conviction with 12 months will also suspend your license.
The code reads:
(viii) two charges of Reckless Driving, impaired driving, or any combination of Reckless Driving and impaired driving committed within a period of 12 months; but if upon a first conviction of Reckless Driving or impaired driving the judge or justice recommends suspension of the convicted person’s license, the division may after a hearing suspend the license for a period of three months; See 53-3-220(1)(a)(viii). Juveniles Under 21 Years Old. If you are under 21 years old and are convicted of Reckless Driving you will incur 80 points. You only get 70 points on your under 21 year old driving record before the DLD will sanction your license. Any straight plea to reckless or speeding 19+ miles per hour over will sanction your minor driver’s license.
BEWARE. BEWARE. BEWARE. if you are under 21 years old with a Reckless Driving charge, you can lose your license.
Traffic School. You can only take traffic school so often, generally only once every 2 years to reduce 50 points off your Utah traffic record.
Hiring an attorney for Juab County traffic court matters can reduce your insurance rates and points.
Utah’s Adult Points System: You only have 200 points on your adult over 21 Utah driving record before you can be sanctioned.
Utah’s Under 21 Points System: You only get 100 points on your Utah driving record before the driver’s license division starts disciplining your driving privileges.
Reckless Driving 80
Speeding (depending on severity) 35 – 75
Failure to Yield Right-of-Way 60
Following too Closely (tailgating) 60
Wrong Side of Road 60
Wrong Way on One-Way Street 60
Red Light 50
Stop Sign 50
Improper Look out 50
Improper Passing 50
Negligent Collision 50
Other Moving Violations 40
A more detailed look at points, traffic school and driving can be found at the Utah Driver’s License Division administrative rule R708-3.
JUAB COUNTY / UTAH COUNTY CRIMINAL DEFENSE RESOURCES
Utah County Jail
https://sheriff.utahcounty.gov/corrections/inmateSearch
425 West Sheep Lane Drive, Nephi, UT 84648
Phone: 435-623-1344 Option 2
Juab County Justice Court
160 N Main St, Nephi, UT 84648
Phone: (435) 623-3440
Juab County 4th Judicial District Court
775 W Center Street
Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Phone: (801) 804-4800
Juab County 4th District Juvenile Court
102 East 200 North Nephi, UT 84648
Phone: (435) 623-0922
Utah Warrant Search
https://secure.utah.gov/warrants/index.html
Nephi City Justice Court
160 N Main St Ste 217, Nephi, UT 84648
Phone: (435) 623-1263
