Legal Question in Traffic Law in South Carolina

I got a speeding ticket today, does South Carolina have a prayer for judgement? Or what do they call it?


Asked on 8/01/14, 5:14 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Robert Johnston Law Offices of Robert J. Johnston

SC does not have Prayer for Judgment. SC has three different speeding tickets. Which ticket a person gets depends on how much over the speed limit the officer writes the ticket for. I can't give you any specific advise since I do not know which ticket you received.

One is for going up to 10 mph over the limit, and has 2 points and a fine. The next one if for going between 10 and 25 mph over the limit, and has 4 points and a fine. And the third one is for going in excess of 25 over the limit, and has 6 points and a fine.

Your options vary depending on which ticket you got. The 2 point violation cannot be reduced, since its the lowest speeding ticket SC has and there is nothing below it to reduce it to.

The second one, which has 4 points, can be reduced to 2 points and the fine reduced as well.

The third one, the 6 point violation, can usually be reduced. But I can't tell you how much it can be reduced to since I don't know how much over the limit it was written for. It is generally reduced to either 4 points or 2 points. Which one depends on how much over the limit the ticket was written for. If it was written for traveling a lot over the limit, then they often will only reduce it to 4 points. If it was just barely in excess of 25 over the limit, then often they will reduce it to 2 points. In other words, they consider the severity of the speed when deciding. And lastly, if someone was driving very excessively over the limit, then on occasions they won't reduce it at all; and take the attitude that the person was driving way too fast to give them a break on the ticket.

If I knew exactly how much over the limit the ticket was for, it would be far easier to predict.

If you are licensed in NC, be careful since NC DMV has been known to suspend a person's drivers license for any 4 point violation in SC. Any speeding conviction in SC does get transferred from SC DMV to NC DMV.

We routinely represent people from out of state on speeding tickets since its such a hardship for a lot of people to take time off work, drive all the way here for court, gas money, etc.

Hope this information helps.

Robert J. Johnston 843-473-2213

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Answered on 8/02/14, 12:21 pm


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