Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Missed court date for speeding ticket, what do I do?





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Have yet to pay a speeding ticket and now issued a summons; what's the best way to take care of it?
Asheboro, NC
I got a speeding ticket a while back and haven't been able to pay the fine. Today a cop came by and issued me a summons with the listed fees and date of appearance in court. Is there any way I can just pay the fines before the date of appearance and be done with it, without having to actually go to court?

Hello Asheboro
Based on the information you provided, the answer is probably no (each County has its own specific rules regarding payment of fees after missing the court date). And even if you could, I do not think it would be a good idea.  After you missed court on the date specified in the citation, a series of events began. 20 days after the court date listed on your original traffic ticket the court attached with called a failure to appear fee or FTA of $200.   If the matter is still not resolved 60 days after the missed court date, then the North Carolina DMV will suspend your driving privileges.  It sounds like you already have a new court date, so you probably will not need to go to the clerk's office to have your matter rescheduled.   If you have already received a new court date then either you will have to go to court on that date or you will have to hire an attorney to go for you. I would strongly suggest hiring an attorney to go for you and here's the reason why; the attorney will be able to address the reason why you got the ticket in the first place and will be able to minimize the impact of the ticket on your driver’s license and insurance.  Additionally,  sometimes (but not always) an attorneys will be able to have the court strike the failure to appear fee that has most likely attached to your citation which in itself would probably save you about $200.

Our office frequently assists individuals who have missed their court date and helps them not only put their case back in the docket, but get it resolved successfully too. If you need help or information about how to get your case back on the docket, or if you are interested in legal representation for resolving your case please call us our office at 919-321-6569 or visit us on the web at www.Kisala-law.com.  We regularly represent individuals in traffic and lesser offenses throughout the greater triangle area of North Carolina, including Durham, Wake, Person, Alamance, and Orange Counties.

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