South Carolina Speeding Ticket
You do not have the right to ask to see the radar unit so do not even ask. Since many stops are on tape, you should not say or do anything that would prevent you from later contesting the South Carolina speeding ticket in court. Your first step is to determine the exact charge and the consequences to your pocketbook. Insurance companies look closely at your driving record and just one ticket can dramatically increase your insurance premiums for three years. Look at the statute number on the ticket and find the exact law at the South Carolina Speeding Ticket Laws. Read the statute carefully to be sure that you understand the violation. If it is a city code then you may have to go to city hall or the local library. If you are a South Carolina driver the violation points for a South Carolina speeding ticket are listed below. If you are from another state, your own DMV can advise how it will be treated when the South Carolina speeding ticket is entered on your record. Speeding 25mph+ over the limit can be considered reckless. Generally you should always contest a traffic ticket but that is an individual decision based on your specific circumstances. Check the court date on the ticket and make arrangements well in advance of your court date. Unless it is a mandatory court appearance, the officer will write the amount of the fine on the ticket. If you decide to plead guilty, simply send a money order to the court so that it reaches the clerk before your court date. We suggest CRRR and keeping a copy with your tax papers. You cannot discuss a South Carolina speeding ticket with the judge prior to your court date. You must either appear, pay the fine, retain a South Carolina traffic ticket attorney or enter a not guilty plea by mail or fax. If you appear, you are usually offered a reduction in the points and fine in return for a guilty plea and immediate cash payment. If you are not satisfied with the offer, you still have the option of pleading not guilty and also of requesting a jury trial. South Carolina traffic tickets are handled either by city court or the county magistrate court. The court date on the ticket is an arraignment where you either negotiate or plead not guilty. If you request a jury trial the court will advise you in about two weeks of your actual trial date. If you intend to plead not guilty then you can skip the arraignment and a day in South Carolina traffic court by either mailing or faxing in a plea of not guilty. Be sure that you talk to the clerk to verify reciept. Your South Carolina speeding ticket usually will not be dismissed if the officer is not present at the arraingment. However, it doesn't hurt to ask the judge to dismiss. Some courts will hold a trial by judge on your first court date. Unless you have an excellent defense, this normally results in a guilty verdict. South Carolina does not have a deferment or traffic school option where your speeding ticket will not be entered on your driving record. Some cities will allow traffic school but normally this takes the assistance of an attorney. There are also some city ordinances, usually "careless driving", that are not reported to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. The clerk of court is your best source of information on a particular judge and the court procedures. If you request a trial, the officer normally will act as the prosecuter. If he does not appear, you can request dismissal for "non-prosecution" and the judge should grant your motion but some judges will give the state a continuance. If you decide on a trial, you should retain a South Carolina traffic attorney. That is how they earn their living and they know the "ins and outs" of the judicial system. Of course, you are just interested in the "outs". Never, ever represent yourself where there is the possiblity of jail time or a license suspension. If you decide to "go it alone" then you need to commit to the time and effort necessary to prepare your defense. Start by attending a similar speeding ticket trial. The clerk can give you the court schedule. Discovery is not allowed in South Carolina traffic court but you can do a Freedom of Information request and also subpoena the records for court. Good luck!
South Carolina Speeding Ticket - Out of State LicenseSouth Carolina reports speeding tickets to all fifty states. Generally the ticket will be entered on your record and points will be assessed just as if you received the speeding ticket in your home state. A few states do treat out of state tickets differently so the only way to be sure is to contact the DMV of your home state.North Carolina License - South Carolina Speeding Ticket Special warning to North Carolina drivers with a South Carolina speeding ticket. The officer will probably tell you should just pay the ticket. This can be very bad advice. North Carolina will suspend your drivers license for a 15+mph violation and any violation over 10mph can increase your insurance premiums. Hiring a South Carolina speeding ticket attorney or appearing in court may save you a lot of trouble and money down the road. We get calls constantly from North Carolina drivers who have paid their South Carolina speeding ticket and then find out their license is suspended. After you pay the ticket it is too late. South Carolina Speeding Ticket LawyersIf you are a CDL driver, just one serious South Carolina speeding ticket may put your job at risk. Insurance companies will increase your South Carolina auto insurance premiums based on your driving record. You need to evaluate the total cost of a SC speeding ticket and not just the amount of the fine or the cost of legal representation.
We recommend the following South Carolina traffic attorneys. Speeding ticket legal representation in South Carolina usually runs between 300 and 1000 dollars depending on your specific situation and whether the case goes to a jury trial. It is very difficult to get a speeding ticket dismissed but an SC attorney may be able to negotiate a reduction in the fine/points and avoid a court appearance. Since a SC speeding ticket stays on your record for three years, it may be cheaper to pay an attorney rather than your insurance company. We personally know each of these South Carolina attorneys and highly recommend them. They are extremely busy and may not return your call unless you mention this site. They handle South Carolina DUI, South Carolina Speeding, South Carolina Driver's License Suspension, and other traffic related issues. Myrtle Beach South Carolina Attorney Greenville South Carolina Attorney
Charleston South Carolina Attorney Spartanburg South Carolina Attorney South Carolina Drivers License Point SystemThe South Carolina Driver's License Point System is based on the 12 points similar to most states. When you accumulate 12 or more points your drivers license is suspended. VIOLATION - POINTSReckless driving - 6 (1) No more than 10 m.p.h. above the posted limits - 2 Disobedience of any official traffic control device - 4 South Carolina Auto Insurance
Should I Purchase a Radar Detector?If you already have one speeding ticket on your record, I recommend that you purchase a radar detector. They are not an excuse to speed, they are to help you from receiving an inadverent ticket. Purchasing a quality radar detector and learning how to use it can help prevent future tickets. Click HERE to learn more.
South Carolina Speed TrapCHARLESTON MT. PLEASANT SPEED TRAP Mt. Pleasant police are using a beat up pickup truck to sneak up on surprised motorists and issue speeding tickets. Police seized the V-6 powered domestic long-bed truck in a drug raid. They then equipped it with blue police lights and tinted windows, making it very hard to identify as a legitimate police vehicle.Mt. Pleasant continually runs radar on I-526, especially the Eastbound lane. The newest trap is to park an old white van in the median and hit you with laser, especially on weekends and holidays. Roadblocks and checkpoints at night are common in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant.
S.C. 46 in Bluffton, SC
Bluffton police push to enforce speed limits
Cottageville South Carolina Speed Trap Greenville South Carolina Speed Traps Newberry County on I-26, especially at the rest areas near the 62 milemarker. It is not unusual to see an unmarked vehicle shooting radar with an additional 4 or 5 troopers as pickups. Being the 3rd or 4th car in line won't help you.
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The South Carolina Highway Patrol and some cities are starting to use Laser guns to issue South Carolina speeding tickets. Radar detectors don't work with Laser since by the time it alerts, they already have your speed locked.