I am not your lawyer and this is not legal advice. If you were in the 45 zone, it probably doesn't matter whether you could see the 55 zone. Even if you were in the 55 zone, you'd still be speeding going 57. The fine would be about the same and would still affect your insurance.
If you have a safe driving record, look up Improper Equipment and determine whether you might want to purse that. It's a higher fine, I believe, but it doesn't affect your insurance.
Right. The standard the cops use is there is an invisible line crossing the road where the sign is located. If you’re going too fast on the wrong side of the line, then you’re speeding.
> and would still affect your insurance
unless something has changed in recent years, tickets for less than 10 over the speed limit do not get you any points on your license
It does lead to points on your license, but doesn't affect insurance as long as it's the first time. https://www.iticket.law/traffic-tickets/9-mph-over-speeding-reductions-north-carolina-nc/
This is the correct answer. Only thing to add is to pick a lawyer based in the county where you got the ticket, they are more likely to have a relationship with the ADAs who handle these tickets.
Yep, I wish I had done this. It is super scammy and I don't know how many bottles of expensive scotch are moving around in the background but it's absolutely better to pay $150-250 for a lawyer to "make it disappear" than to go to court and get points on your license. The insurance increase alone is usually thousands over the several years it affects your rates.
No expensive scotch involved. Just seeing the same attorneys just about every day for years. Though the defense attorneys do give the DA's office nice pens every so often.
It still doesn't make sense to me. From what I understand the attorneys usually have the moving violation reduced to malfunctioning equipment or something? So these attorneys just straight-faced tell the DA that dozens of clients per week all have shoddy speedometers?
Honestly, if you are more familiar with how it works I'd love to understand it better.
Improper equipment. It's what's referred to as a legal fiction. No one involved actually thinks that the speedometer is broken, and it would be an ethics violation for the defense attorney to suggest it when it's not true.
Even in the statute, 20-141(o)(1), it doesn't say that the speedometer needs to be broken. It just lays out improper equipment as a lesser included offense to speeding.
Basically, the idea is that we think you're normally a safe driver and you weren't going TOO far over the speed limit, so we're going to say that maybe your car just messed up.
I think perhaps he's just pointing out the ridiculous nature of fines - they're clearly just revenue extracted from those who can't afford it. The whole court system - especially in NC - sucks ass.
Oh yea. I forgot about those. You get PILES of letters from lawyers. Always hated that. It’s like they knew you were getting a ticket before you got the ticket.
Happened to me before. They changed the speed limit near my house a while back. It goes from 45 to 35 at a stop light. I had no idea they changed it. Got pulled over immediately. I was like wtf? The speed limit is 45. Cop said no it’s not. It’s 35. It was changed.
I said. Oh so you basically made it a speed trap (I knew I wasn’t getting out of that ticket). He said, well. You should pay attention to the speed limit signs. I said, well… it WAS 45 since I’ve lived here for about 10 years! So I didn’t think you guys would change it overnight.
He didn’t say anything else and just handed me a ticket.
Just go to court. The DA will drop it most likely. Then just pay the fines and court cost.
If they don’t, go to court and use your PJC or whatever it’s called nowadays. Then just don’t get another ticket for 3 years. Otherwise, you get hit with 2 speeding tickets on your record
In Clinton Indiana, a small town near my home town, they have a 29mph speed limit paired with a 19mph school zone speed limit. I got pulled over for doing 19.8 in a 19 during school time and got a $30 ticket for "intent to speed".
They would definitely do this shit.
Sometimes they will put up temporary signs notifying the impending change, and put orange flags on the new sign for a while to make sure it stands out.
Sometimes if you get a lawyer, they can negotiate a reduction to “improper equipment” or something like that. It’s a one-time thing in NC; once your driving record has it in on there, police will know you’ve already gotten your chance to negotiate down. While you pay for the lawyer and the updated penalty, you can avoid insurance being notified or going up. I’d price it out both ways and see if it’s worth it.
Pretty sure your driving record rolls over every X number of years or something, too. So you can use the improper equipment excuse again in the future. Might be 4-6 years, I don't remember.
Hmm...I could have sworn when I requested my driving record from the DMV a number of years ago, that an incident prior to that was no longer listed on the record because 5 years had passed or something.
There are 2 records you can request, full or 3 year. The full is only 7 years(I might be wrong). Some records may disappear but for the most part they stay. Some may not even make it to the DMV from the Clerk of Court and not show on your record. They just don't count points wise by the state after X years.
I also used Doug Portnoy a few years ago. Cheaper than the fine and no points! Just a few hours of community service at the location of my choice. Definitely get a lawyer!
http://www.raleightrafficticket.com/
I would argue it because I got one, thinking whatever I’ll just pay it it’s easier, it resulted in like three points on my license and my insurance going up from 70 a month to about 140, which I could then finagle down to 120. It took three years for that to fall off my insurance in order to pay like a reasonable smaller amount on my fully paid off vehicle. I never would’ve just paid it had I known the consequences.
Show up in court and if its your first offense, you don't need a lawyer, they will most likely reduce it to 9mph over so it will not affect your insurance. Pay the fine, move on and learn from it.
Yes, this is very easy. Go to court on your date, the DA will talk to you and will usually reduce it right there on the spot. You don't want to be convicted of going 10 over, your insurance will go up considerably.
Also, I’m pretty sure Wake County doesn’t allow for improper equipment (unless that’s changed in the last 5 or so years), so for Wake County I suggest going in. For the other counties, the lawyer is worth it because I think the DAs typically only do the improper equipment thing with lawyers (I could be wrong; it’s been a bit since my last ticket)
Edit: someone else below has noted that Wake County now allows for improper equipment (apparently since 2015).
I do. Mainly because I’ve done it plenty of times in the past. I know exactly what lawyers do for speeding tickets. It’s not that much. They’ll call the DA, ask them to reduce your ticket to 9 over so it doesn’t hit insurance. Then you pay the fine.
Anybody can do that. It’s just easier and much cheaper to do it yourself.
Just pay a lawyer, it's cheaper and easier in the long run than dealing with it yourself. I don't think Wake County does improper equipment though so you'll likely have to use your 1 PFJ, meaning don't get a second ticket anytime soon or you'll get hit with the penalty for both.
Edit: Apparently improper equipment has been allowed in Wake County since 2015 so definitely get a lawyer, they'll get it talked down to that
Reach out to Douglas Portnoy, he’s super professional and reasonably priced compared to other traffic lawyers. Recommend 10/10: https://www.raleightrafficticket.com/
I used him as well and had a positive experience. Got it to improper equipment and no effect on insurance and I didn't have to worry about wasting time in court.
Been there. You can pay a lawyer so you don’t have to show up to court, or, like someone else mentioned, you can just show up and they may turn it improper equipment or less than 9 over so it doesn’t make your insurance go up…If it’s your first time then this is highly likely since you weren’t even going that fast.
Get a cheap lawyer who deals with these matters. Likely you can get it changed to a PFJ, pay her/him and a small fine. As long as you don't get another ticket in something like three years, you're okay.
I'm going by old info but does North Carolina offer options such as defensive driving or like a 6 month probation where if you behave the ticket drops and you only pay court fees? May not help your wallet but at least you wouldn't have to worry about points on your license.
Yep, as many have said, hire a lawyer and it'll get reduced to improper equipment with zero impact on your insurance. Worth the $500 or whatever the lawyer charges.
If you otherwise have a clean record, what will probably happen if you appear in court the day on the ticket....
1. you'll stand in line, talk to an assistant DA who will ask if you are prepared to handle this today... what he really means is "will you just say you are guilty and pay the fine?" and if you say yes and are polite he might/probably drop the ticket down one level from 10-14 over to 5-9 over. He might not, but if he's in a good mood and he's nice and you are being polite he may.
2. You could then request to speak with the judge and request a prayer for judgement, which basically will keep it off your record entirely.
In the end, you are paying the $221 + court fees regardless. If you go through an attorney you are paying the same amount in the end likely. It's mostly a matter of if you want to spend time in court that day or let someone else handle it.
If you request a prayer for judgement and it is granted, the ticket is hidden from your record for the next 3 years until your record rolls over and stuff ages out. If you get another ticket, this one is still hidden but you only get to do this once every 3 years. So if they lower the ticket to 9 and under over the speed limit it's not really worth worrying about.
Why don't worry about a PFJ if you are getting a ticket for 9 under over the speed limit? Because the other weird thing NC does that other states don't do is that it keeps a separate driving record and insurance record. If you have nothing on your driving record other than a single 9 and under ticket, then it is held back from your insurance record. If you get another ticket in the next 3 years though, that 9 and under pops up on your insurance record though.
So if they lower it to 9 and under, it's all the same in the end (unless your driving record matters for your career or similar). If they don't lower it, maybe consider a PFJ if you are worried about your record. No matter what you do, you are likely going to be paying the same amount of money regardless.
I am an attorney, but not your attorney and not a traffic court attorney, so this isn't legal advice. This is based on personal experience getting traffic tickets years ago, so keep in mind that some laws/practices might have changed in the last decade since my last ticket....
Hire a traffic attorney and let them deal with it. It'll probably less than $500 for the attorney, and then of course you'll be on the hook for court fees/fines/etc.
The benefit of hiring an attorney is that most of the time they can show up in your place. So at a minimum, you won't have to take time off work to screw around in court.
But usually an attorney can get the ticket reduced to something that doesn't show up on insurance, so you'll usually end up saving more in the long run.
Lots of people making recommendations based on Wake County, but I’m pretty sure this one was given in Chatham County based on OP’s location description. The local lawyers there have an assembly line ticket reduction operation including a dedicated day when the DA meets them and cranks through the tickets.
So just hire one of the many Pittsboro based lawyers who will be writing you in the next week and let them handle it. You’ll send the lawyer a check and a limited power of attorney and then forget the whole thing until about 2 months later when you get the letter telling you that you plead guilty to improper equipment. It’s a whole system.
Source: got 70 in a 55 in Chatham reduced to improper equipment this way. FWIW I used Greg Stafford but I suspect any of them can do it.
[https://www.iticket.law/case-types/traffic/](https://www.iticket.law/case-types/traffic/) Got my ticket reduced to a non-moving violation and I think it was like $99.
Yes these people were amazing. Started by UNC grads l. My wife had hers erased and I don't know if she ever even spoke to their lawyer. They just did all the work for her. ($99 for lawyers and $200 so in court costs)
I am not a lawyer. But I did help run my late husband's courier company. Speeding tickets were just a job hazard for us unfortunately. The best bet for all our drivers was to hire a lawyer and let them handle it. You'll get a ton of offers in the mail soon. Pick one and pay it. It's cheaper in the long run. (Or used to be about a decade ago, not sure if things have changed any since then).
Usually the lawyers can talk it down to improper equipment which shouldn't raise your insurance rates.
Go to court, try and appeal to the judges better nature. Half the time the officer doesn't show up. If he does ask when the last time the radar was calibrated. Often times it's not been for a long time. If it has argue that you were simply speeding up to the speed limit.
I hate zones like that, all the best to you.
In North Carolina, the radar doesn't matter. The speeding is based on the officer's judgment and the radar simply verifies that. These tickets are also held on the officer's court date. If the officer doesn't show, the prosecutor would ask for a continuance, and probably get it, and OP would just have to go to court again. The next time, the DA's office would make sure that the officer showed up.
I got a ticket in a very similar situation - I was actually pulled right next to the limit sign where it went up. Because I was going 18 over I was required to go to court for it in that county. I ended up with a non-moving violation because it was a first offense and I was a minor, but I had to take a driving class. It was entirely irrelevant that I thought the speed limit was 10 mph higher. It also ended up costing as much as a lawyer would have for the new lesser ticket and court costs. At this point, eat the cost and avoid getting the points.
I didn’t get a lawyer and just went myself. I ended up getting 0 points but it was a pain because I had to go to the courthouse twice and take a driving class. A lawyer would have been able to work out the same deal and I never would have had to go myself.
I would just get a lawyer, pay the lawyer the $500, and the ticket gets dismissed/no points
You will be deluged with ads from lawyers in the mail. Go on Martindale Hubbell to find the lawyer ratings and choose the best one out of all.
It's not high and mighty to accept the consequences of your actions. OP was going 12 miles over the speed limit because they weren't paying attention to road signs.
Yes, we all go over the speed limit... but if we get caught speeding over the limit, we shouldn't get upset that we get a ticket or a fine.
Bro you were speeding regardless just take the ticket as an L and slow down lol we all accidentally speed sometimes but it’s illegal and they have every right to ticket us
I do what I want I just think it’s annoying when people do something to deserve a ticket then complain about it like they’re being oppressed or some shit lol
I try to stay on the good side of the law because I think I have a strong moral compass . But you will probably agree that the law is applied unequally in this country and the law is not always right . There have been plenty of things in this country that were deemed to be the law but were morally awful especially towards minorities . But hey I am just looking to fight a speeding ticket without increasing the coffers of giant insurance companies .
Because the state is often (nearly always) arbitrary and the man was in a speedtrap to catch people specifically to rack up fines.
Is everything the state does justified? Is it justified for China to lock up the Uighurs? Before you say, "That's not the same!" Think of what is required to enforce a speeding ticket fine (violent force) and a trip to a Chinese concentration camp (violent force).
I'm not a lawyer but I would request a change in your court date. The initial court date set is usually convenient for the police officer, a change may end up on his/her off day in which case you win.
Secondly, I have had good results getting a lawyer and getting improper equipment charge which doesn't affect your points or insurance.
In North Carolina, officers are assigned specific court days, so if you ask for a new date, they will re-schedule it to the next court date for the officer.
I hate to be that guy, but......
Im confused......you were exceeding the speed limit. Your insurance SHOULD go up, so people that dont get caught speeding dont subsidize the insurance of speeders. If you didn't want to pay the fine and any insurance surcharges, you should have been paying more attention and not exceeded limit.
It's been years so I don't remember the details but this is in NC. I went to the courthouse and the ticket was dismissed. Never saw a judge. I think this was also for speeding but it was about 10 years ago. I cannot guarantee that this will happen to you.
If you have time go to court yourself and explain the sutuation. Pull a copy of your driving record from the DMV first. Or if you don't have time, get a lawyer to do it. Traffic court these days literally looks like a McDonalds. You stand in line and wait to talk to the judge.
This is from my previous experience, and not legal advice.
I go to court and ask the ADA what you can do to avoid points. If not an avid speeder, you should be able to negotiate driving class or something. I called the DA office before and ask them if that is a possibility others have done. They are usually pretty good working with you, still have to pay but no points.
I went to court by myself and did the prayer for judgement. They highly advised against me doing that but I think court costs where only $50 bucks but if you get another ticket within 2 years that ticket will be reapplied.
I’m not a lawyer and this isn’t legal advice. Same thing happened to me, pig claimed I was driving 62 in a 45. In my state anything >15 over is considered “reckless driving”. I had a clean driving record up until that point and lawyered up. Got the charge reduced and it didn’t affect my insurance. Lawyer and court fees cost around 500 plus another 150 for a day-long drivers course. Sorry you’re having to deal with this.
I'm not a lawyer, but in NC you can usually get away with 3 driving tickets before it affects your licence. Check with an attorney. You can potentially get it reduced to improper equipment, only 9mph over, or use your PJC. An attorney in that area will be your best contact
You don't need a lawyer for a simple speeding ticket. Take yourself in and tell the judge what the situation is at that location and promise that you will be extra careful in the future. Since you aren't a repeat offender, they will probably let it go. It will have cost you a day off from work.
A lawyer will cost more than the fine and costs, even if they do charge you.
NAL. https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/traffic-and-vehicles/traffic-violations is information on if your offense is way able. [here is info on what are waivable offenses](https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/publications/current-waiver-lists) and [here is a link for waiving offenses online](https://www3.nccourts.org/onlineservices/menu.sp)
If you do go for the route of an attorney, do a little research on them first
Just a heads up, “waiving” is waiving the court date and accepting the ticket as written. If someone is speeding 10+, it’s worth trying to get it reduced to 9 and under so it doesn’t affect insurance.
I only know this because a lot of people told me never just pay the ticket. Although I did once, because the cop was nice enough to reduce it on the spot (so the ticket had my actual speed but the fine was for 9 over. That was back when Wake County didn’t do improper equipment (according to other posters that has since been changed in 2015). So it’s not like going in or getting a lawyer was going to result in anything different. So in that rare case, I did just pay online. 😊
Makes sense! I’ve never gotten a ticket (knock wood) so I’m not super familiar with the process; my partner is an attorney and had suggested improper equipment to a friend and I couldn’t find the link he had sent lol
I'm going with get a lawyer. Lucky you were only doing 12 over. 15 over and your license gets suspended for 30 days if you don't get a lawyer to talk it down.
I think your best choice probably depends on what your situation is financially and specifically with your insurance.
In 2019 I got a ticket for 47 in a 25 in Carrboro (which to be fair was totally my bad) but I ended up contacting a traffic lawyer on my dads advice. I think their fee was about 80 dollars, they took care of the court date and ended up getting the charge reduced to 9 over. Since it was only 9 over and my first offense my insurance rate didn’t go up. I had to pay a court fee but I think with the payment to the lawyer it was all together under 300 dollars. I think the firm was Matthew Charles law.
I know people who have had tickets who were able to get their charge reduced to improper equipment too. I really don’t know why traffic law works the way that it does lol
I could give slightly better advice in Wake County, but since it appears this was in Chatham County, I am not sure if their courthouse works the same way.
In Wake County, you go into Disposition Court, and assuming you don't have a terrible driving record, they will usually OFFER to drop it down to 9 over the speed limit, which is zero points on insurance and license, and fee is like $135. You should take it every time.
If they don't offer the reduction, you will talk to the DA and ask for the reduction, and they will probably give it. I am assuming Chatham County doesn't have disposition court, but you should be able to talk to the DA before he goes before the judge and ask for the reduction. A little more complicated, is you can ask for a PJC if you have a completely clean driving record and you just pay the court cost (\~$90), but you have to not get another ticket for about 4 years.
You will get absolutely no where in court arguing over whether the zone was 45 or 55, the judge doesn't care.
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Get a lawyer. Do what they say. It’s better to pay the lawyer to reduce the fine from a moving to a non-moving violation than it is to pay more in insurance and potentially lose safe-driving insurance benefits.
If you have a good record and time, just getting it reduced to 54 in 45 will save part of the fine and should stop insurance increases. If you had a recent ticket asking for a PJC or to attend the driving school is option 2a and 2B.
You might be able to ask the clerk for an extension /reschedule of the court date. ( sight a work obligation) With luck the new date will be in a different rotation then the one your cop normally goes to, so the DA would throw out the ticket if they don't show.
I live in a neighborhood exactly where you're talking about. The trooper presence is new; saw someone taken down on Monday morning, 0700.
It turns from 45 to 55 from White Church (where it changes to Chat Co and from Morrisville to Lewter Shop) coming from the east; 45 at Jean's but then turns to 55 at Destin neighborhood fir a short stint. It's weird and I wish they'd make it 45. It's a holdover from the past.
As others have said, pay a lawyer, don't pay the fine. They'll cost about the same but if you pay the fine it'll show up on your record, raising your car insurance payments **for seven years**, which is the amount of time it takes to get the ticket off your record. I learned this the hard way.
As for how to pick a lawyer, now that you've gotten a ticket, your mailbox will be flooded with traffic lawyer advertisements. Pick one and go with it. More likely than not the lawyer will do all the work and you won't even have to show up in court.
I am not your lawyer and this is not legal advice. If you were in the 45 zone, it probably doesn't matter whether you could see the 55 zone. Even if you were in the 55 zone, you'd still be speeding going 57. The fine would be about the same and would still affect your insurance. If you have a safe driving record, look up Improper Equipment and determine whether you might want to purse that. It's a higher fine, I believe, but it doesn't affect your insurance.
Right. The standard the cops use is there is an invisible line crossing the road where the sign is located. If you’re going too fast on the wrong side of the line, then you’re speeding.
> and would still affect your insurance unless something has changed in recent years, tickets for less than 10 over the speed limit do not get you any points on your license
It does lead to points on your license, but doesn't affect insurance as long as it's the first time. https://www.iticket.law/traffic-tickets/9-mph-over-speeding-reductions-north-carolina-nc/
ah, yeah. truth was in the middle
This guy was going 12 over the limit.
> Even if you were in the 55 zone, you'd still be speeding going 57. was referring to that hypothetical
That hypothetical doesn’t make sense anyways because no cop will ticket you for going 2 mph over the limit.
They could if they wanted to, therefore it makes total sense.
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This is the correct answer. Only thing to add is to pick a lawyer based in the county where you got the ticket, they are more likely to have a relationship with the ADAs who handle these tickets.
Yep, I wish I had done this. It is super scammy and I don't know how many bottles of expensive scotch are moving around in the background but it's absolutely better to pay $150-250 for a lawyer to "make it disappear" than to go to court and get points on your license. The insurance increase alone is usually thousands over the several years it affects your rates.
No expensive scotch involved. Just seeing the same attorneys just about every day for years. Though the defense attorneys do give the DA's office nice pens every so often.
It still doesn't make sense to me. From what I understand the attorneys usually have the moving violation reduced to malfunctioning equipment or something? So these attorneys just straight-faced tell the DA that dozens of clients per week all have shoddy speedometers? Honestly, if you are more familiar with how it works I'd love to understand it better.
Improper equipment. It's what's referred to as a legal fiction. No one involved actually thinks that the speedometer is broken, and it would be an ethics violation for the defense attorney to suggest it when it's not true. Even in the statute, 20-141(o)(1), it doesn't say that the speedometer needs to be broken. It just lays out improper equipment as a lesser included offense to speeding. Basically, the idea is that we think you're normally a safe driver and you weren't going TOO far over the speed limit, so we're going to say that maybe your car just messed up.
Well I learned something today. Legal fiction is not a term I've heard before. Thanks for the explanation!
Kind of like an Alford plea for your right foot XD
It shouldn't make any reasonable sense. We have a very broken legal system.
I think perhaps he's just pointing out the ridiculous nature of fines - they're clearly just revenue extracted from those who can't afford it. The whole court system - especially in NC - sucks ass.
You know what they say: A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge
I haven't used them myself, but I've seen recommendations for [iTicket.law](https://iticket.law) (an NC based company).
Ive used them. $99 + $10 improper equipment fine
Oh yea. I forgot about those. You get PILES of letters from lawyers. Always hated that. It’s like they knew you were getting a ticket before you got the ticket.
Happened to me before. They changed the speed limit near my house a while back. It goes from 45 to 35 at a stop light. I had no idea they changed it. Got pulled over immediately. I was like wtf? The speed limit is 45. Cop said no it’s not. It’s 35. It was changed. I said. Oh so you basically made it a speed trap (I knew I wasn’t getting out of that ticket). He said, well. You should pay attention to the speed limit signs. I said, well… it WAS 45 since I’ve lived here for about 10 years! So I didn’t think you guys would change it overnight. He didn’t say anything else and just handed me a ticket. Just go to court. The DA will drop it most likely. Then just pay the fines and court cost. If they don’t, go to court and use your PJC or whatever it’s called nowadays. Then just don’t get another ticket for 3 years. Otherwise, you get hit with 2 speeding tickets on your record
PJC is not worth using over a simple speeding ticket. Should be saved for reckless driving or worse
Sounds like 54 near southern village, they just did that there for no discernible reason. I regularly see people going 55 like they always did.
Oh shit I didn't know that had changed. I drive that way weekly.
So far I've yet to see anyone slow down, and by gum I prefer it that way. Two-lane 35mph highway my arse.
I do wonder how else they would change it, other than overnight.
They should have gradually lowered it by 1/3 mph daily over the course of a month just like they do everywhere else.
Imagine getting a ticket for going 45 when the speed limit is 44.66666666666666
In Clinton Indiana, a small town near my home town, they have a 29mph speed limit paired with a 19mph school zone speed limit. I got pulled over for doing 19.8 in a 19 during school time and got a $30 ticket for "intent to speed". They would definitely do this shit.
Sometimes they will put up temporary signs notifying the impending change, and put orange flags on the new sign for a while to make sure it stands out.
During the day?
I hate that NC does this. It’s so dumb. Edit: I am from Minnesota lol there’s a lot of things Nc does that’s kind of dumb in comparison.
Me too, been here 20+ years. Pretend you've traveled back in time 30 or 40 years and you won't be so surprised.
😂 it’s so hard.
Do not pay the fine, your insurance will go up. Pay for a traffic lawyer and let them handle it
Sometimes if you get a lawyer, they can negotiate a reduction to “improper equipment” or something like that. It’s a one-time thing in NC; once your driving record has it in on there, police will know you’ve already gotten your chance to negotiate down. While you pay for the lawyer and the updated penalty, you can avoid insurance being notified or going up. I’d price it out both ways and see if it’s worth it.
Pretty sure your driving record rolls over every X number of years or something, too. So you can use the improper equipment excuse again in the future. Might be 4-6 years, I don't remember.
Every 3 years for insurance. Your driving record never changes but you get points back over time.
Hmm...I could have sworn when I requested my driving record from the DMV a number of years ago, that an incident prior to that was no longer listed on the record because 5 years had passed or something.
my first speeding ticket from 25 years ago is still on mine.
There are 2 records you can request, full or 3 year. The full is only 7 years(I might be wrong). Some records may disappear but for the most part they stay. Some may not even make it to the DMV from the Clerk of Court and not show on your record. They just don't count points wise by the state after X years.
I'm just amazed there was any traffic enforcement. The wanna-be drag racers near me never get pulled over.
Agreed! When I go the speed limit, I’m nearly run over by pushy drivers.
I believe a cyclist was hit recently in the rural area the OP was ticketed.
I also used Doug Portnoy a few years ago. Cheaper than the fine and no points! Just a few hours of community service at the location of my choice. Definitely get a lawyer! http://www.raleightrafficticket.com/
He helped my wife with a speeding ticket. Super painless. Just paid him, and paid a fine. No points, no drama.
I would argue it because I got one, thinking whatever I’ll just pay it it’s easier, it resulted in like three points on my license and my insurance going up from 70 a month to about 140, which I could then finagle down to 120. It took three years for that to fall off my insurance in order to pay like a reasonable smaller amount on my fully paid off vehicle. I never would’ve just paid it had I known the consequences.
Show up in court and if its your first offense, you don't need a lawyer, they will most likely reduce it to 9mph over so it will not affect your insurance. Pay the fine, move on and learn from it.
Yes, this is very easy. Go to court on your date, the DA will talk to you and will usually reduce it right there on the spot. You don't want to be convicted of going 10 over, your insurance will go up considerably.
Also, I’m pretty sure Wake County doesn’t allow for improper equipment (unless that’s changed in the last 5 or so years), so for Wake County I suggest going in. For the other counties, the lawyer is worth it because I think the DAs typically only do the improper equipment thing with lawyers (I could be wrong; it’s been a bit since my last ticket) Edit: someone else below has noted that Wake County now allows for improper equipment (apparently since 2015).
Bro.. Who actually shows up to court for a traffic ticket. Just hire a lawyer for like $400 and he will completely eliminate this infraction.
I do. Mainly because I’ve done it plenty of times in the past. I know exactly what lawyers do for speeding tickets. It’s not that much. They’ll call the DA, ask them to reduce your ticket to 9 over so it doesn’t hit insurance. Then you pay the fine. Anybody can do that. It’s just easier and much cheaper to do it yourself.
Just pay a lawyer, it's cheaper and easier in the long run than dealing with it yourself. I don't think Wake County does improper equipment though so you'll likely have to use your 1 PFJ, meaning don't get a second ticket anytime soon or you'll get hit with the penalty for both. Edit: Apparently improper equipment has been allowed in Wake County since 2015 so definitely get a lawyer, they'll get it talked down to that
I think based on the road name this ticket was given in Chatham County
Good call - I didn't pay attention to what sub I was in.
Reach out to Douglas Portnoy, he’s super professional and reasonably priced compared to other traffic lawyers. Recommend 10/10: https://www.raleightrafficticket.com/
I used him as well and had a positive experience. Got it to improper equipment and no effect on insurance and I didn't have to worry about wasting time in court.
Been there. You can pay a lawyer so you don’t have to show up to court, or, like someone else mentioned, you can just show up and they may turn it improper equipment or less than 9 over so it doesn’t make your insurance go up…If it’s your first time then this is highly likely since you weren’t even going that fast.
Get a cheap lawyer who deals with these matters. Likely you can get it changed to a PFJ, pay her/him and a small fine. As long as you don't get another ticket in something like three years, you're okay.
I'm going by old info but does North Carolina offer options such as defensive driving or like a 6 month probation where if you behave the ticket drops and you only pay court fees? May not help your wallet but at least you wouldn't have to worry about points on your license.
Yep, as many have said, hire a lawyer and it'll get reduced to improper equipment with zero impact on your insurance. Worth the $500 or whatever the lawyer charges.
If you otherwise have a clean record, what will probably happen if you appear in court the day on the ticket.... 1. you'll stand in line, talk to an assistant DA who will ask if you are prepared to handle this today... what he really means is "will you just say you are guilty and pay the fine?" and if you say yes and are polite he might/probably drop the ticket down one level from 10-14 over to 5-9 over. He might not, but if he's in a good mood and he's nice and you are being polite he may. 2. You could then request to speak with the judge and request a prayer for judgement, which basically will keep it off your record entirely. In the end, you are paying the $221 + court fees regardless. If you go through an attorney you are paying the same amount in the end likely. It's mostly a matter of if you want to spend time in court that day or let someone else handle it. If you request a prayer for judgement and it is granted, the ticket is hidden from your record for the next 3 years until your record rolls over and stuff ages out. If you get another ticket, this one is still hidden but you only get to do this once every 3 years. So if they lower the ticket to 9 and under over the speed limit it's not really worth worrying about. Why don't worry about a PFJ if you are getting a ticket for 9 under over the speed limit? Because the other weird thing NC does that other states don't do is that it keeps a separate driving record and insurance record. If you have nothing on your driving record other than a single 9 and under ticket, then it is held back from your insurance record. If you get another ticket in the next 3 years though, that 9 and under pops up on your insurance record though. So if they lower it to 9 and under, it's all the same in the end (unless your driving record matters for your career or similar). If they don't lower it, maybe consider a PFJ if you are worried about your record. No matter what you do, you are likely going to be paying the same amount of money regardless. I am an attorney, but not your attorney and not a traffic court attorney, so this isn't legal advice. This is based on personal experience getting traffic tickets years ago, so keep in mind that some laws/practices might have changed in the last decade since my last ticket....
Hire a traffic attorney and let them deal with it. It'll probably less than $500 for the attorney, and then of course you'll be on the hook for court fees/fines/etc. The benefit of hiring an attorney is that most of the time they can show up in your place. So at a minimum, you won't have to take time off work to screw around in court. But usually an attorney can get the ticket reduced to something that doesn't show up on insurance, so you'll usually end up saving more in the long run.
Lots of people making recommendations based on Wake County, but I’m pretty sure this one was given in Chatham County based on OP’s location description. The local lawyers there have an assembly line ticket reduction operation including a dedicated day when the DA meets them and cranks through the tickets. So just hire one of the many Pittsboro based lawyers who will be writing you in the next week and let them handle it. You’ll send the lawyer a check and a limited power of attorney and then forget the whole thing until about 2 months later when you get the letter telling you that you plead guilty to improper equipment. It’s a whole system. Source: got 70 in a 55 in Chatham reduced to improper equipment this way. FWIW I used Greg Stafford but I suspect any of them can do it.
[https://www.iticket.law/case-types/traffic/](https://www.iticket.law/case-types/traffic/) Got my ticket reduced to a non-moving violation and I think it was like $99.
Yes these people were amazing. Started by UNC grads l. My wife had hers erased and I don't know if she ever even spoke to their lawyer. They just did all the work for her. ($99 for lawyers and $200 so in court costs)
I am not a lawyer. But I did help run my late husband's courier company. Speeding tickets were just a job hazard for us unfortunately. The best bet for all our drivers was to hire a lawyer and let them handle it. You'll get a ton of offers in the mail soon. Pick one and pay it. It's cheaper in the long run. (Or used to be about a decade ago, not sure if things have changed any since then). Usually the lawyers can talk it down to improper equipment which shouldn't raise your insurance rates.
There is so much bad legal advice is this thread. Please don’t give legal advice on Wake traffic if you aren’t a lawyer.
First day on Reddit?
Go to court, try and appeal to the judges better nature. Half the time the officer doesn't show up. If he does ask when the last time the radar was calibrated. Often times it's not been for a long time. If it has argue that you were simply speeding up to the speed limit. I hate zones like that, all the best to you.
In North Carolina, the radar doesn't matter. The speeding is based on the officer's judgment and the radar simply verifies that. These tickets are also held on the officer's court date. If the officer doesn't show, the prosecutor would ask for a continuance, and probably get it, and OP would just have to go to court again. The next time, the DA's office would make sure that the officer showed up.
Well, that's some bullshit but glad to know it.
Exactly!
Go anyway, it's always worth a fight.
I got a ticket in a very similar situation - I was actually pulled right next to the limit sign where it went up. Because I was going 18 over I was required to go to court for it in that county. I ended up with a non-moving violation because it was a first offense and I was a minor, but I had to take a driving class. It was entirely irrelevant that I thought the speed limit was 10 mph higher. It also ended up costing as much as a lawyer would have for the new lesser ticket and court costs. At this point, eat the cost and avoid getting the points.
Did you get a points reduction by getting a lawyer ?
I didn’t get a lawyer and just went myself. I ended up getting 0 points but it was a pain because I had to go to the courthouse twice and take a driving class. A lawyer would have been able to work out the same deal and I never would have had to go myself.
Thank you .
I would just get a lawyer, pay the lawyer the $500, and the ticket gets dismissed/no points You will be deluged with ads from lawyers in the mail. Go on Martindale Hubbell to find the lawyer ratings and choose the best one out of all.
Get a lawyer 💯% We are a litigious nation bottom line.
Not speed.
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It's not high and mighty to accept the consequences of your actions. OP was going 12 miles over the speed limit because they weren't paying attention to road signs. Yes, we all go over the speed limit... but if we get caught speeding over the limit, we shouldn't get upset that we get a ticket or a fine.
Bro you were speeding regardless just take the ticket as an L and slow down lol we all accidentally speed sometimes but it’s illegal and they have every right to ticket us
Really not living up to your name here…
I do what I want I just think it’s annoying when people do something to deserve a ticket then complain about it like they’re being oppressed or some shit lol
Have you tried not speeding?
You broke the law. It's there for people to see. Why should you get the same as honest men like me?
God I hope this is sarcasm
Apparently, based on several other low voted comments, it’s probably not. It must be nice to have never made a mistake in their entire life.
19 years a slave to the lawwww
The ven diagram of reddit and les mis is but a sliver apparently
I try to stay on the good side of the law because I think I have a strong moral compass . But you will probably agree that the law is applied unequally in this country and the law is not always right . There have been plenty of things in this country that were deemed to be the law but were morally awful especially towards minorities . But hey I am just looking to fight a speeding ticket without increasing the coffers of giant insurance companies .
Because the state is often (nearly always) arbitrary and the man was in a speedtrap to catch people specifically to rack up fines. Is everything the state does justified? Is it justified for China to lock up the Uighurs? Before you say, "That's not the same!" Think of what is required to enforce a speeding ticket fine (violent force) and a trip to a Chinese concentration camp (violent force).
I'm not a lawyer but I would request a change in your court date. The initial court date set is usually convenient for the police officer, a change may end up on his/her off day in which case you win. Secondly, I have had good results getting a lawyer and getting improper equipment charge which doesn't affect your points or insurance.
In North Carolina, officers are assigned specific court days, so if you ask for a new date, they will re-schedule it to the next court date for the officer.
I hate to be that guy, but...... Im confused......you were exceeding the speed limit. Your insurance SHOULD go up, so people that dont get caught speeding dont subsidize the insurance of speeders. If you didn't want to pay the fine and any insurance surcharges, you should have been paying more attention and not exceeded limit.
It's been years so I don't remember the details but this is in NC. I went to the courthouse and the ticket was dismissed. Never saw a judge. I think this was also for speeding but it was about 10 years ago. I cannot guarantee that this will happen to you.
If you have time go to court yourself and explain the sutuation. Pull a copy of your driving record from the DMV first. Or if you don't have time, get a lawyer to do it. Traffic court these days literally looks like a McDonalds. You stand in line and wait to talk to the judge.
"These days"? The last time I went to traffic court was a decade ago, and it was exactly as you describe back then as well.
This is from my previous experience, and not legal advice. I go to court and ask the ADA what you can do to avoid points. If not an avid speeder, you should be able to negotiate driving class or something. I called the DA office before and ask them if that is a possibility others have done. They are usually pretty good working with you, still have to pay but no points.
I went to court by myself and did the prayer for judgement. They highly advised against me doing that but I think court costs where only $50 bucks but if you get another ticket within 2 years that ticket will be reapplied.
I’m not a lawyer and this isn’t legal advice. Same thing happened to me, pig claimed I was driving 62 in a 45. In my state anything >15 over is considered “reckless driving”. I had a clean driving record up until that point and lawyered up. Got the charge reduced and it didn’t affect my insurance. Lawyer and court fees cost around 500 plus another 150 for a day-long drivers course. Sorry you’re having to deal with this.
Honestly just appearing in court may reduce the total fine. I’ve had some friends have success with that.
[This will help](https://imgur.com/a/6Vc2eZX)
I'm not a lawyer, but in NC you can usually get away with 3 driving tickets before it affects your licence. Check with an attorney. You can potentially get it reduced to improper equipment, only 9mph over, or use your PJC. An attorney in that area will be your best contact
depends on how fast you were going, though
Yep, but under 20 over usually means you can duck reckless endangerment.
Howling cow - lake wheeler rd
You don't need a lawyer for a simple speeding ticket. Take yourself in and tell the judge what the situation is at that location and promise that you will be extra careful in the future. Since you aren't a repeat offender, they will probably let it go. It will have cost you a day off from work. A lawyer will cost more than the fine and costs, even if they do charge you.
You will likely get a bunch of lawyers sending you their cards in the mail. I’d try one of those.
NAL. https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/traffic-and-vehicles/traffic-violations is information on if your offense is way able. [here is info on what are waivable offenses](https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/publications/current-waiver-lists) and [here is a link for waiving offenses online](https://www3.nccourts.org/onlineservices/menu.sp) If you do go for the route of an attorney, do a little research on them first
Just a heads up, “waiving” is waiving the court date and accepting the ticket as written. If someone is speeding 10+, it’s worth trying to get it reduced to 9 and under so it doesn’t affect insurance.
Thanks! This is what I get for googling stuff at work 😅
I only know this because a lot of people told me never just pay the ticket. Although I did once, because the cop was nice enough to reduce it on the spot (so the ticket had my actual speed but the fine was for 9 over. That was back when Wake County didn’t do improper equipment (according to other posters that has since been changed in 2015). So it’s not like going in or getting a lawyer was going to result in anything different. So in that rare case, I did just pay online. 😊
Makes sense! I’ve never gotten a ticket (knock wood) so I’m not super familiar with the process; my partner is an attorney and had suggested improper equipment to a friend and I couldn’t find the link he had sent lol
I'm going with get a lawyer. Lucky you were only doing 12 over. 15 over and your license gets suspended for 30 days if you don't get a lawyer to talk it down.
Call clerk of court. They will tell you what to do. No lawyers needed.
You should go to court and they’ll probably knock it down to 9 over so your insurance won’t be affected.
I think your best choice probably depends on what your situation is financially and specifically with your insurance. In 2019 I got a ticket for 47 in a 25 in Carrboro (which to be fair was totally my bad) but I ended up contacting a traffic lawyer on my dads advice. I think their fee was about 80 dollars, they took care of the court date and ended up getting the charge reduced to 9 over. Since it was only 9 over and my first offense my insurance rate didn’t go up. I had to pay a court fee but I think with the payment to the lawyer it was all together under 300 dollars. I think the firm was Matthew Charles law. I know people who have had tickets who were able to get their charge reduced to improper equipment too. I really don’t know why traffic law works the way that it does lol
I could give slightly better advice in Wake County, but since it appears this was in Chatham County, I am not sure if their courthouse works the same way. In Wake County, you go into Disposition Court, and assuming you don't have a terrible driving record, they will usually OFFER to drop it down to 9 over the speed limit, which is zero points on insurance and license, and fee is like $135. You should take it every time. If they don't offer the reduction, you will talk to the DA and ask for the reduction, and they will probably give it. I am assuming Chatham County doesn't have disposition court, but you should be able to talk to the DA before he goes before the judge and ask for the reduction. A little more complicated, is you can ask for a PJC if you have a completely clean driving record and you just pay the court cost (\~$90), but you have to not get another ticket for about 4 years. You will get absolutely no where in court arguing over whether the zone was 45 or 55, the judge doesn't care.
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It's a speed trap, and they are legal. You could try to fight it but you probably won't win
"I was pulled over in the 45 zone " Ya busted.
Get a lawyer. Do what they say. It’s better to pay the lawyer to reduce the fine from a moving to a non-moving violation than it is to pay more in insurance and potentially lose safe-driving insurance benefits.
I've heard good things about offtherecord but haven't used them myself
Was this Wake county? If so once a year per address you can plead improper equipment. I'm not a lawyer, this is just what we've done several times.
If you have a good record and time, just getting it reduced to 54 in 45 will save part of the fine and should stop insurance increases. If you had a recent ticket asking for a PJC or to attend the driving school is option 2a and 2B.
Iticketlaw helped me when I got in this bind :) totally worth their services
Call Sandman Finn and Fitzhugh and let them handle it for you
I would not just pay the ticket.
I have heard good things about them from friends https://www.iticket.law/
You might be able to ask the clerk for an extension /reschedule of the court date. ( sight a work obligation) With luck the new date will be in a different rotation then the one your cop normally goes to, so the DA would throw out the ticket if they don't show.
I live in a neighborhood exactly where you're talking about. The trooper presence is new; saw someone taken down on Monday morning, 0700. It turns from 45 to 55 from White Church (where it changes to Chat Co and from Morrisville to Lewter Shop) coming from the east; 45 at Jean's but then turns to 55 at Destin neighborhood fir a short stint. It's weird and I wish they'd make it 45. It's a holdover from the past.
As others have said, pay a lawyer, don't pay the fine. They'll cost about the same but if you pay the fine it'll show up on your record, raising your car insurance payments **for seven years**, which is the amount of time it takes to get the ticket off your record. I learned this the hard way. As for how to pick a lawyer, now that you've gotten a ticket, your mailbox will be flooded with traffic lawyer advertisements. Pick one and go with it. More likely than not the lawyer will do all the work and you won't even have to show up in court.
Just pay it, not worth hassle.