Prayer for Judgment Continued

What is a Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC)?

There are many misconceptions regarding what is a PJC. In Mecklenburg County, NC a judge can grant a PJC which permanently withholds sentencing on a given crime. This disposition is common for speeding tickets where the judge makes an assessment of the client’s prior driving record, the severity of the speed, and any aggravating or mitigating factors and decides that this is the appropriate way to dispose of the case.

I was told by the police officer that I could take a class and have my speeding ticket dismissed, is that true?

Absolutely not. Many times clients are not eligible to even use a PJC. Further most states outside of NC do not even recognize the PJC so the disposition that transfers to their home state is a plea of guilty. Further, regardless of where you are licensed the PJC does show up on your driving record. There are some circumstances wherein a PJC can prevent a license suspension, insurance increases and driver’s license points. However, in other circumstances it may not be recognized at all by the DMV or your insurance company.

Can I use a PJC for all of my Mecklenburg speeding tickets?

No. There are limits on eligibility as well as the number of PJC’s that an individual can have for DMV purposes and a limit to the number that a household can use for insurance purposes.

How do I know if a PJC is the best disposition for my Charlotte speeding ticket?

It is a mistake to beleive that the PJC is a one-size-fits-all disposition. It is our hope that this article explains that. As with any legal situation, it is a much more complicated and nuanced issue than can be addressed in this type of forum. Determining whether to use the PJC involves looking at the interplay between insurance points, driver’s license points, driving history and household history. Having handled thousands of speeding tickets in Mecklenburg County it is apparent that most drivers, many police officers, and even some judges, do not understand the possibilities, consequences, and best times to utilize the PJC. It is not an unlimited commodity and there are serious insurance and driver’s license consequences involved. The best answer to the original questions is you should call one of our lawyers or staff to disucss this issue.

Is there a better outcome than a PJC for my case?

While ever case is differnt (differnt speed, driving record, cicumstance) it is entirely possible that not only is there a better outcome than using the PJC, using the PJC could be the worst outcome for the case.