-------, ---

To
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----: We were attempting to give you more time to complete your community service work in order that a prayer for judgment continued would be granted in your speeding in a school zone violation. We entered a plea of responsible to reduced speed of 34/25 in a school zone on August 3, 2012 and negotiated the community service deal. The Judge presiding continued your case until September 14, 2012 to give you ample time to complete 15 hours of community service work. We were fortunate to be able to obtain two more continuances (to October 26, 2012 and December 21, 2012) to give you additional time to complete the 15 hours. The Clerk’s office is not accepting the appeal in this case because in order to obtain this deal, we entered a plea of responsible (such a plea cannot be appealed). We have two choices at this point. You can forward to us proof that you have completed 15 hours of community service work immediately (like yesterday) and we can file a motion to attempt to reopen this case and get the prayer for judgment continued granted. Otherwise, you will need to pay the fines and costs of $438.00 and unfortunately, you will be assessed three DMV points and one insurance point for the speeding in a school zone conviction. Please let us know what you decide to do. If you want to still try for the “PJC” we need the community service completion immediately. Otherwise, you will need to forward $438.00 for the court costs and fine. Failure to do so will result in the revocation of your driver’s license by DMV for the failure to comply.


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Legal Assistant
Hatch, Little & Bunn, L.L.P.
P. O. Box 527
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 856-3963
FAX: (919) 857-3963


Now I have already paid this lawyer over 230 dollars for their services. I do not live in the city this occurred so I have never even met the lawyer. I can't just do 15 hours unless you guys know of something I don't. What I don't understand is how is the penalty that harsh and what the hell should I do. Yes I know this is long, but I truly need advice on this. Thanks WW

1/11/2013 8:16:20 PM

$438 (with court costs included in it) doesn't sound that high, sounds about right. Why have you continued this multiple times, why did you not just take are of it? I don't understand what you have a problem with.

1/11/2013 8:20:23 PM

Quote :

"speeding in a school zone violation"

I'm sure you've had 15 hours to spare between August 3, 2012, and today.

Seriously? Sounds like you shot yourself in the foot there.

Quote :

"What I don't understand is how is the penalty that harsh and what the hell should I do."

Harsh? Here's a reality check. There are signs designating a school zone, when you are entering it, and when you are leaving one. There are also signs posted to say the speed limit for the school zone during specified hours. You ignored those signs and got busted. Punishment isn't harsh if you don't get caught breaking the law.

The lawyers offered you an out and you've been too lazy to get a measly 15 hours of CS completed to potentially get the whole thing "dropped" without consequences. So now you risk running points on your license as well as insurance. The ramifications for your laziness and procrastination is going to cost you dearly, not only in court and lawyer fees, but now in insurance premiums too.

What you should do, if not too late, is get that community service shit done ASAP. If you can't, then just accept the consequences and learn some responsibility as an adult. Take responsiblity for your actions and when you are called out on a mistake/error you've made, own up to it.


[Edited on January 11, 2013 at 9:50 PM. Reason : .]

1/11/2013 9:42:26 PM

^shots fired

1/11/2013 10:03:10 PM

I'd rather pay the $430 than do the community service anyway. What a shitty plea deal.

1/11/2013 10:19:09 PM

someone suspend this fool. Not only for speeding in a school zone, and not doing 15 hours of service, but for posting the same crap all over the place.

1/11/2013 10:26:37 PM

I hope the problem here is that this is the first time you're hearing of the community service obligation. If this is not the first time you're hearing about it, then I'm unclear why you didn't just do the community service. There are some things you just gotta do...even when they're inconvenient.

Regardless of whether or not you were informed about the community service, you're still going to have to do it ASAP or pay the piper with actual money/points on your license. There might be some kind of action you could take against your attorney.

Unfortunately, this type of thing happens often, and it can be bad. You can end up in jail over something as trivial as a speeding ticket because the random attorney you hired didn't handle it. You miss work while you're in jail, and you're already kind of a schmuck, so your crappy boss fires you from your crappy job. And it's all just the perfect opportunity for your unhappy girlfriend to leave with the kids! Life sucks.

1/11/2013 10:35:46 PM

James crou****fuck.


I have never heard of your lawyer before. They have a great website, but that does not mean much, some of the best lawyers have the shittiest websites. One thing I noticed is they do every single type of law under the sun, usually those are the worst firms to get hooked up with.

At this point changing attorneys is not going to do you any good. You got fucked and your insurance is about to make your ass bleed for the next three years, that PJC is the only hope you have. Call the attorney to see if there is any way you can do the community service in the next week or so (all of it) and get the deal they had for you to begin with. (which was a shitty deal, but its the deal that you have)

1/12/2013 12:45:22 AM

okay well i am a little confused here. It wasn't 4 months for me to get it done. They JUST told me I had to do it at the start of 2013. They said I had until March 11th, 2013. I get this email today. For those who are throwing stones at me. Over off Gorman Street you take a left onto kaplan or something. It is 828 in the morning. Nowhere did I see a sign. Then I got pulled. I got a lawyer in Raleigh and paid the guy. Why is RALEIGH the ONLY city in NC that doesnt allow a dropped speeding ticket. Anywhere else you can except Wake county. The cop continuously showed and was a dick from what the lawyer said. I am calling Monday and asking them where I can go. They never even mailed me or emailed me where to do community service there. I for damn sure will come up this week and do it. Also. School had been in session for over an hour so please quit being so rude to me people. I simply asked for advice. Thanks for those who gave it to me. Again how is that 3 points on a DMV report when I have NEVER EVER been pulled over and 1 insurance point. Again thank you.

1/12/2013 3:07:51 AM

As you can see, there is a sign. It's a little ways down when you come off from Gorman, making a left onto Kaplan... But there is a sign in front of A.B. Combs Elementary.

I see a school zone effective between 8:00am and 8:45am with a 25mph speed limit (35mph during non-school hours). How fast were you going exactly? 45? Cause 45 in a 25 is a pretty bad offense.

I'm sorry if I misread your post. The email/letter sounds like they've had previous contact with you regarding your community service hours. If this is the first mention of it to you, ever, then that's one thing and it's pretty terrible communication on the lawyer's part. Even then, it's not terribly bad. It's one thing to speed, it's another to fuck around with a school zone, construction zone, or a school bus.

Quote :

"The cop continuously showed "

That's his job. So he's a dick for doing his job?

Quote :

"Again how is that 3 points on a DMV report when I have NEVER EVER been pulled over and 1 insurance point"

Because the penalty for disobeying the speeding law inside a school zone is 3 points on a DMV report and 1 insurance point. Just because you've never been pulled before doesn't give you grace on your first offense. Ignorance is no excuse, especially since you have to pass reading/identifying a roadsign test to obtain/retain your driving license.

Hell, it's one thing to see a sign and disobey it. It's another if you are careless in your driving that you failed to observe the sign or worse, weren't concentrating/focused on your driving enough to realize how fast you were going. Please drive safe!

1/12/2013 3:49:25 AM

lol

this is a soap box issue

1/12/2013 4:47:11 AM

speeding tickets violate the second amendment

I mean obvs. cars are "arms" and driving is a way "to keep and bear" them

1/12/2013 6:00:18 AM

Your rights are naturally restricted on other people's property and there is no question the government owns the street and can therefore demand you obey their rules while there.

1/12/2013 6:38:22 PM

I totally was supposed to do 24 hours of community service back in the day and never did it

Court apparently never did the paperwork properly because it just disappeared.

1/12/2013 9:52:33 PM

LMAO @ Hiro using IE.

1/12/2013 11:42:16 PM

It's not my browser of choice, but it was my only option where I was posting from at the time.

1/13/2013 12:18:32 AM

^^^^the second amendment is a restriction on the government, idiot

1/13/2013 1:03:13 AM