ccbro, please ignore scooterdog's insensitive reply. The following information can be found at the link preceding it, and the links at the end of each message may provide more helpful information. Sounds like you can talk to the DA without a lawyer if you want to try to have the violation lowered. Hopefully, one of the lawyers on this site will reply with more useful information for you.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=251894
Being a North Carolinian myself and having
gone through speeding tickets and having a Prayer for Judgement (PJC)
I hope I can help you with your needs.
A "Prayer for Judgement" citation means that the court reserves the
right to pass judgement later. The driver is charged the cost of
court, no decision is rendered, and no points are assigned (except for
a third Prayer Judgement citation within five years.) The judge can
come back and finalize the citation later. A household can use on PJC
as long as no-one else has used a PJC in the last three years. If
another violation occurs in the 3 years a PJC is on your record, both
violations (and related points) get placed on your driving record.
Getting a PJC will depend on the judge and the violation. When I
received mine, I spoke with the DA and had the speed lowered to 9 mph
over the speed limit. I later learned that NC DMV regulations state
that at 9 or less over the speed limit, there are no drivers license
points.
I am not a lawyer and this answer does not constitute legal advice.
If you need any additional clarification, please let me know.
Regards,
-THV
Search Strategy:
"Prayer for judgement" North Carolina speeding
PJC North Carolina
References:
THE HIGH (and hidden) COSTS OF TRAFFIC TICKETS
http://www.plylerlaw.com/in.html
A Partial List of MVR Related Terms - Sorted by State
http://www.iix.com/support/iix/mvrstuff/state.htm
Subject: Re: Prayer for judgement
From: magnesium-ga on 03 Sep 2003 18:09 PDT
This might help:
What is a Prayer for Judgment Continuance (PJC)?
"PJC" stands for Prayer for Judgment Continuance. It is a judge-made
remedy, available in some cases to suspend indefinitely the court's
judgment in a case. In most traffic cases, a PJC is not a conviction
and will not result in an increase in automobile insurance premiums.
It is important to remember two sets of rules when contemplating the
request: the rules of the Division of Motor Vehicles and the rules of
your insurance company. Typically, the North Carolina Division of
Motor Vehicles is going to disregard a third or subsequent PJC in a
five year period. In other words, if you already have two PJCs and you
get another, it will be ignored by the DMV and your record will
reflect a conviction for the charge on which you were granted the PJC.
Also, remember that insurance companies will only "honor" a single PJC
in a three-year period, pursuant to a North Carolina General Statute
commonly referred to as the Safe Driver Incentive Plan.
http://www.ncspeeder.com/html/faq.html