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I just got my first ever speeding ticket and unfortunately it was a big one because I was in a school zone. A couple days later my mailbox was flooded with solicitation letters from lawyers. I was shocked. Isn't that a violation of my rights for wake county to be distributing my legal records like that?
Although you technically do not need an attorney, because it was in a school zone, it is a good idea. I know someone who got a ticket in a school zone in wake county, and got a prayer for judgment but still had to do 30 hours of community service. They had not had a ticket in over 10 years. The whole school zone thing is the killer.
That way your insurance shouldn't go up, but you may still want to check with your insurance company.
I may just be paranoid, but I would never check with my insurance company on anything unless I were sure I could do it anonymously. It seems they are always looking for any excuse to raise your rates.
As far as traffic school, it can remove some DMV points from your record(ie keep you from getting your license suspended). However, don't think it does anything to lower insurance rates. DMV points and insurance points are two different things. North Carolina Ticket & Traffic School Guide - DMV.ORG
Although you technically do not need an attorney, because it was in a school zone, it is a good idea. I know someone who got a ticket in a school zone in wake county, and got a prayer for judgment but still had to do 30 hours of community service. They had not had a ticket in over 10 years. The whole school zone thing is the killer.
Leigh
What??? Community service for a speeding ticket? Thats ridiculous. I'm not sure what to do. I had thought about the traffic school thing to get the points off my license. That's cheaper than paying a lawyer. Anyone have experience with that?
Its looking to me like Wake county takes speeding in a school zone pretty seriously. I'm hiring one of the lawyers that solicited me. There's some pretty reasonable prices. Does anyone remember the name of a lawyer they used?
What??? Community service for a speeding ticket? Thats ridiculous. I'm not sure what to do. I had thought about the traffic school thing to get the points off my license. That's cheaper than paying a lawyer. Anyone have experience with that?
Traffic school would only work if you didn't try and get out of the ticket, and it would reduce the very high points you get for the school zone. So, if you can get out of the ticket, with a prayer for judgement, then that is a good thing. The prayer for judgement is for a 3 year period, you cannot get the same offense (another speeding in a school zone), if you do, both will go on your record. And, the community service was more hours than another friend had to do for a DWI, how crazy is that?????
I would definitely consult an attorney about this.
If your were speeding in a school zone then an Attorney would be useless...just plead guilty....pay the fine and take a traffic school course to have the ticket/point taken off your record.
Last edited by SunnyKayak; 08-26-2008 at 10:34 AM..
Here is the way it works. If you get a speeding ticket and you go to the court house and pay the fine you have plead guilty to the charge. The insurance company will pick up on this and add point to your insurance along with points on your drivers lisence. The points on your insurance will increase you premium. The best thing to do is find an attorney and have him try to have the speeding dropped and changed to improper equipment which carries no points. It may cost you $300.00- $400.00 but it is well worth it in the long run. The attorneys have "relashionships" with the DA's. They change it to lesser charges, you pay the fine, they dont have to deal with all the paper work if you go to court. By the way if there is any way around it do not go for "prayer for judgment" what it dose is it showes no speeding ticket BUT if you get another ticket in a certain period of time you will be hit with both tickets which will really add points.
Excellent explanation of the system and costs. The state just wants to make money, and doesn't mind bypassing insurance companies as long as it gets the fine and court costs for the ticket. Pay a lawyer $300-400 or pay your insurance company an additional $500 for the next 3 years, AND have a record. Over 90% of traffic violations are just paid - amazing if you ever actually go to court and see all the people there.
If your were speeding in a school zone then an Attorney would be useless...just plead guilty....pay the fine and take a traffic school course to have the ticket/point taken off your record.
I would still start with a lawyer - by the time you get done paying court costs, school costs, and the fine, you will be around $400-500 anyway, plus at least one lost half day in court.
I haven't been in a Raleigh court in many years, but the process these days is typically show up one day to plead not guilty, and then either wait until the afternoon for your court time or come back on another day for trial.
Okay what am I missing here? I am from California so I am sure that the laws are different. But in California, you get a ticket, you to go traffic school, no points, no rate increase in your insurance. If you get another ticket within 18 months of that first ticket, you pay a fine, your insurance goes up. I have never heard of having to hire an attorney. If you speed, how do you get the ticket reduced or even erased? Sorry, I dont get it.
This is how it was in Florida as well, so when I moved to NC it took me some time to understand the difference. I got a ticket somewhere in southwest NC heading to my parents place in northern Georgia and the first response from my in-laws was "oh just get a prayer for judgment". I had never heard of such a thing before!
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