Traffic & Reckless Driving Defense Attorney in Cheyenne, WY

Just Criminal Law defends drivers charged in Cheyenne and Laramie County, from local residents and out-of-state truckers stopped on I-25 and I-80. Our founder, Christina L. Williams, is a former prosecutor. She knows how these cases are built and where they fall apart.

Traffic and Reckless Driving Charges We Defend in Cheyenne

Not every traffic ticket requires a lawyer. However, these tickets do:

• Reckless driving
• Driving while your license is suspended, revoked, or cancelled
• Fleeing or attempting to evade, including the aggravated version of the felony
• Careless driving, especially after an accident with injuries or property damage
• A fourth moving violation in the past 12 months, which can lead to the loss of your license
• Traffic charges filed in conjunction with a DUI in Cheyenne

Reckless Driving in Wyoming (W.S. 31-5-229)

The statute is one sentence. Under W.S. 31-5-229, you are guilty of reckless driving if you drive in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of people or property. This is why so many arrests end with this charge.

What “Willful or Wanton Disregard” Means

Speed alone is usually not enough. Nor is an honest mistake. The state must show that you knew, or should have known, that your driving caused a serious risk and you still did it.

Officers in Cheyenne often issue tickets for reckless driving in situations such as:

• Driving at triple-digit speeds on Interstate 80 or 25.
• Weaving through traffic on Dell Range Boulevard or Lincolnway.
• Racing, burnouts, or “showing off” in parking lots.
• Passing on blind hills on two-lane country roads. This happens more often than people expect.

Whether the facts truly rise to the level of “willful or wanton” often determines the whole case.

Reckless Driving Penalties

Under W.S. 31-5-1201(f), a conviction carries up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $750, or both. Then, WYDOT steps in. W.S 31 -7-128 requires a 90-day suspension for a first conviction and six months if you have a prior reckless driving conviction within five years.

Driving Under Suspension, Eluding and Careless Driving

Driving Under Suspension

Driving with a suspended, revoked, or cancelled license is a criminal offense under W.S. 31-7-134, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of $750. The penalty increases if the suspension was due to a reckless driving or DWUI conviction, or if this is your second violation within the same suspension period:

• A mandatory minimum of 7 days in jail is required.
• Probation is not available until the 7 days have been served.
• The fine ranges from $200 to $750.

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude

Under W.S. 31-5-225, failure to stop for a police officer’s signal is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and $750 fine. It becomes an aggravated eluding felony, carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of $5,000 if you have prior eluding convictions, try to cause or knowingly cause bodily harm, or cause more than $10,00 worth of property damage to another person.

One detail matters a lot here. The statute requires officers to be in uniform with a badge displayed and drive marked police vehicles. Stops by unmarked cars raise real questions.

Careless Driving and Lesser Charges

Careless driving means failing to use the care that a reasonably prudent driver would use, in a way that creates an unreasonable risk of harm. A first conviction carries a fine of up to $200. Penalties increase for repeat convictions within a year, up to six months in jail for a third offense.

It’s also a common negotiation target. The mandatory suspension under W.S. 31-7-128 applies to reckless driving, so reducing it can protect your license. Whether that’s realistic depends on the facts.

I-25 and I-80 Stops Through Laramie County

Cheyenne sits where I-25 meets I-80, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol work both corridors hard. Many people who call us are just passing through.

Every stop leaves a record that can be reviewed. We look at:

• Whether the police officer had a legal reason to stop you in the first place.
• How the speed was measured (by radar, lidar, or the officer’s estimation) and whether the equipment used was calibrated.
• Video from the police car’s dash camera and body camera, which may not always match the written citation.

Out-of-state drivers should know that Wyoming convictions usually follow you home. Wyoming may suspend your non-resident driving privileges and your home state may treat a conviction as if it occurred there.

License, Points and Insurance Consequences

Wyoming doesn’t use a points system, but instead counts convictions. The counting adds up quickly, and can lead to serious consequences.

• For reckless driving, a mandatory 90-day suspension is required, or six months if there have been previous offenses in the last five years.
• If you receive four moving violations in 12 months, you will face a 90-day suspension plus 90 more days for each additional violation. This is according to the WYDOT driving privilege guide.
• After any suspension, you must provide proof of financial responsibility for three years, often referred to as an SR-22.
• For CDL holders, reckless driving can be considered a “serious traffic violation” under 49 C.F.R. 383.51. If you have two such violations within three years, you may face a 60-day disqualification. This can apply even if you were driving your personal vehicle at the time.