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So . . I got caught in a speed trap this morning over Balsam. I've only lived in Haywood County since December and I was driving to Sylva (where I work) this morning and running a few minutes late and the trooper clocked me going 70 and the speed limit there is 55. Just past the county line.
I say speed trap, because after the trooper was done giving me my citation ($218 = $30 fine and $188 court costs) there were 3 other drivers between there and Sylva pulled over by troopers.
Anyhow, I heard this strectch is a major "gotcha" area for speeding. I will be extra careful from now on, obviously. I really don't even know that I was truily going 70 . . I normally drive around 60 at most in that stretch. And I typically get many, many vehicles passing me that are clearly doing 75 or worse.
I am 49 years old with an absolutely clean driving record. My last speeding ticket was over 25 years ago.
Long story short, would I be best getting a lawyer to represent me or just going on my own on my court date and asking for a reduction - or a plea for judgment? I don't understand the difference between the 2. I've tried googling the NC points system and I've only come up with lots of conflicting info.
The only ticket anyone in my family ever got was right there. Same situation, clearly a speed trap at the bottom of a mnt. Wait for lawyer letters in the mail then call one. If I remember correct there was only ONE option though ~10ish years ago. The lawyer and judge have a sweet gig going on there that's for sure. Do NOT go on your own. That's a sure way to end up with points on your licenses. With no history of tickets I image you'll end up with it dropped below 10over and then have to pay fines but it won't touch your license. Good luck.
It's also funny how each one of the lawyers the OP gets a letter from all charge approx. $400 which is close to the total fines. I'm not saying that from personal experience, but my friend over near Wilmington had the very same issue with speed traps over there.
Absolutely, OP, good advice from Saucy. Go to court and make the points go away or your insurance will go up to a rate you are not going to like at all -- for the next 3 years.
Wow. I use that road everyday to work in Sylva from Haywood County. Balsam gap is a bad speed trap. You can go down that gorge so quickly without realizing it. Sometimes cars try to make a turn into the westbound lanes not knowing how fast the cars are going in that direction. Be careful going up too - there was a quick ice storm a few months ago and 11 cars had slid off to the side of the highway.
They also have random license checks off exit 85 often. Must be to keep the Jackson County police occupied.
Wow. I use that road everyday to work in Sylva from Haywood County. Balsam gap is a bad speed trap. You can go down that gorge so quickly without realizing it. Sometimes cars try to make a turn into the westbound lanes not knowing how fast the cars are going in that direction. Be careful going up too - there was a quick ice storm a few months ago and 11 cars had slid off to the side of the highway.
They also have random license checks off exit 85 often. Must be to keep the Jackson County police occupied.
I use that road every day as well. Live in Clyde, work in Sylva. I guess I've never seen as many state troopers as I did this morning. And I was just one of the unlucky this morning to get stopped.
I am usually very cautious on that stretch (both up and down) but I was hurrying this morning to get to work. Yes . . I remember the ice storm well myself. I was caught in a major traffic back up for approx two hours. It normally only takes me about 1/2 hour or so to get to & from work. Not fun!
You should be able to ask the magistrate for a prayer for judgement (PJC). No matter what you do you have to pay the 188 court costs! With the PJC the points won't hit your license, but if you get another moving violation inside of 3 years from the PJC, then you get the points from BOTH!!!!
+ on the lawyer, for that kind of potential points and insurance hit.
It ain't about the fine(s) vs lawyer charges; it's all about getting a reduction in points and less impact on your car insurance, imo.
Fwiw, that downhill stretch of the 74/23 bypass is notorious for revenue cops, both county and state. As one crests the hill, you must either downshift or ride the brakes to keep from going well over the 55, in a NY Minute. And, you may not have been going 70; they leave the last 70 on their K gun display, (good friend is a Statie and told me it is SOP).
Lucky they didn't peg you at 71, or 16 over: serious deal in NC, if they want to make it so.
It is all about the dough/revenue, and it is 'end of the month'.
Get a local, knowledgeable lawyer who deals with traffic tickets daily; worth the price.
GL, mD
You should be able to ask the magistrate for a prayer for judgement (PJC). No matter what you do you have to pay the 188 court costs! With the PJC the points won't hit your license, but if you get another moving violation inside of 3 years from the PJC, then you get the points from BOTH!!!!
Exactly this. Get the PJC. Absolutely do not just pay the ticket because if they wrote it for 70MPH you will lose your license for 30 days (15MPH over limit is automatic license suspension).
Also remember that if you get another ticket going any amount at all over 55MPH in the next year, you'll lose your license for 30 days as well. And it does not matter what state you are in if you get a ticket. If they share info with NC, it'll come back to NC and trigger the suspension.
I've driven that pass thousands of times. You do have to watch out going down the Jackson county side. Put you car in a lower gear and let the engine slow you down instead of riding your brakes.
You got caught by a "wolfpack" of troopers. They will travel in packs and do enhanced enforcement in an area for a day or two, then move to another area. They figure that after speeders see the first trooper with a car pulled over that they will think they are safe and not pay attention to the next trooper hiding down the road. Plus if they have a radar detector that is going off the speeder will think it's from the first trooper they saw (does not work if person uses a Valentine One detector though)
Sometimes they'll have a hidden trooper with a laser unit that clocks the cars, and radios to a bunch of troopers that are waiting in a line to pull out and intercept the cars as they go by. I saw one once coming out of the woods beside I-40, wearing camoflage, carrying his laser gun and putting everything into the back of a waiting highway patrol car.
I don't get it. You admit that you were going 70 in a 55 mile posted speed area. Why is it a "speed trap?" Just because police are pulling multiple people over because they are speeding doesn't make it a trap.
Sometimes I speed and sometimes I get a ticket. I have never protested because I was always guilty.
I say man up and pay up and slow down in to the posted speed limit if you don't want to chance getting a ticket.
B, if you knew that stretch of road you would understand that it is a 'speed trap' and revenue maker:
One crests a hill and it is a few miles of real downhill blacktop; one must downshift or frequently brake hard to slow the momentum any vehicle is gaining...gravity @work.
Other sections are 60 mph; that section is 55 per the geniuses at the NC DOT.
The average driver through that area is seldom vigilant enough nor brake riding enough to stay at/below 55, esp when most drivers have accelerated slightly to get up the grade and most are doing 60+.
In clear daytime weather, it is a trap, imo; have driven/ridden it hundreds of times.
The cops are not waiting at the top of long uphill grades...they are always camped on the downhill sections.
Last edited by motordavid; 03-28-2014 at 06:06 PM..
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I'm not saying that from personal experience, but my friend over near Wilmington had the very same issue with speed traps over there. 
