The Downside of Prayer for Judgment Continued
A Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) is a judge-granted remedy in which a defendant receives a finding of guilt without an entry of judgment for a criminal or traffic offense. When a judge continues prayer for judgment, a defendant may be able to avoid a car insurance increase, though the charge and outcome will still be visible on the defendant’s driving record. Under North Carolina law, a defendant may use one (1) prayer for judgment every three (3) years per household for insurance point purposes, and two (2) prayer for judgments every five (5) years for DMV point purposes.
The general ruling continuing pleas of prayer for judgment in North Carolina courts is that the “North Carolina courts have the power to continue prayer for judgment without the defendant’s consent, so long as no conditions are imposed on the defendant.” State v. Van Trusell, 170 N.C. App. 33 (2005).
What happens if a defendant does not want a prayer for judgment continued?
In some instances, continuing a plea of prayer for judgment is not the most optimal outcome for a defendant. For one, a PJC leaves an unresolved legal matter on a defendant’s record. When applying for certain jobs, unresolved legal matters can hinder an applicant. Sometimes a defendant simply needs a judgment entered.
The Contradiction | North Carolina Prayer for Judgment Relief
If judgment has been continued, the State can make a motion for imposition of a sentence on a defendant. However, this relief from a prayer for judgment does not work the other way around. A defendant cannot motion for the imposition of a sentence when prayer for judgment has been continued.
North Carolina Prayer for Judgment Continued | Chapel Hill Traffic and Criminal Defense Lawyer
Contact an attorney at Everett Law Firm, P.A., with an office conveniently located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to learn more about Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) and determine if asking for a Prayer for Judgment is appropriate for your traffic or criminal offense case.
Our attorneys have acquired vast legal knowledge and experience through successful representation of clients charged with violations of North Carolina traffic laws in Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Pittsboro, Graham, Alamance County, Caswell County, Chatham County, Durham County, Orange County, Person County, Wake County, and throughout North Carolina. We have extensive experience negotiating plea arrangements with the District Attorneys of the various courts throughout the many North Carolina counties.
Submissions to this website for counties that are not covered by Everett Law Firm, P.A. will be forwarded to local attorney(s) as described in the disclaimer. Everett Law Firm, P.A. does not warranty the work of those attorneys, nor is the distribution of the submission constituted as a referral, rather this site is merely a directory in those circumstances.
Call (919) 942-8002 for a FREE initial conversation to discuss your legal options concerning prayer for judgment (PJC), and violations of North Carolina traffic laws, with a North Carolina traffic ticket attorney you can trust.
The information contained in this blog is believed to be correct, but we do not guarantee its accuracy. Contact our office should you have any legal questions.
