Durham Prayer for Judgement Continued (PJC)

If you have received a speeding ticket or a traffic citation in Durham, North Carolina, a Prayer for Judgment Continued or "PJC" may be a beneficial option to consider. Mostly unheard of outside of North Carolina, the Prayer for Judgement Continued is an antiquated concept found in North Carolina law that can be a used to resolve certain lower level citations in Durham. Despite the medieval origins of the PJC, it is still used today like a "get out of jail free card" that can potentially be allowed by the Court in your case - at the discretion of the presiding Judge - to prevent the acquisition of license points and avoid insurance premium increase. The end result is that, although the person charged has pled guilty, the court does not enter a final judgment of conviction in the case.

Under the North Caroline Department of Insurance regulations, NC license holders are eligible to use this "get out of jail free card" once every three years. That said, there are a number of offenses for which the court is prohibited from entering a PJC, and there are certain circumstances in which a PJC may be treated like a conviction, so you should consult our traffic attorneys about your legal rights and options. Please note, PJCs are not available for out of state license holders OR commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders. Given the limitations of the PJC, our Durham traffic attorney can walk you through what possible outcomes may be available in your case and which, if any, are better than using your Prayer for Judgement Continued.

Depending on the facts of your case, our traffic lawyers can negotiate with the District Attorney's office in Durham, seeking to obtain a PJC on your behalf. If the DA's office is agreeable, requests for a PJC are then made directly to the sitting Judge after entering a plea of guilty/responsible to the original charge. As discussed, granting a PJC is in the Judge's sole discretion, but we will argue before the Court that the PJC should be allowed due to your particular circumstances. Please note, in the event that a requested PJC is denied, the Court may enter judgement on the charge as pled, which is typically the original speed offense. Additionally, be advised that due to insurance company restrictions, only one PJC can be used per family policy every three years. Thus it's important that you check with all persons covered by your policy before deciding to use a Prayer for Judgement Continued.

As discussed, granting a PJC is in the Judge's sole discretion, but we will argue before the Court on your behalf to allow the PJC due to your particular circumstances. Please note, in the event that a requested PJC is denied, the Court may enter judgement on the charge as pled, which is typically the original speed offense. For these reasons, coupled with the fact that there are often other outcomes that are better than "burning" your Prayer for Judgement continued, it is very important that you speak with our Durham traffic lawyer. Lastly, court costs and fines for a PJC can range from $190.00-210.00.

Do not pay any speeding or traffic ticket without first consulting a traffic attorney. It might be tempting to just pay off your own ticket, admitting guilt, but the potential negative outcomes of pleading guilty to your original offense could do anything from raise your monthly insurance premium to adding detrimental points to your license. While it may seem burdensome to hire an attorney in an effort to obtain a PJC, court costs and fines for a PJC are usually less than your original ticket, and range from $190.00-210.00. If you have any further questions about if a Prayer for Judgement Continued is possible in your Durham speeding ticket case, please call our traffic attorneys today so that we can seek to give you back your peace of mind. With offices all over the state and an innovative online process, we aim to be your go to solution, no matter where you are. iTicket.law - bringing the legal industry into the 21st century.