Just as the General Assembly determines the amount of legal fees in North Carolina, it also decides where the money goes. Although several of the court fee laws state that the money is intended to “support the court,” most of the money collected does not remain in the hands of the courts and is not reserved for the use of the courts. In addition to court costs, the court may impose other financial obligations in its decision, such as a fine as a penalty, reimbursement to all victims of the crime, attorneys` fees to reimburse the state for a court-appointed lawyer, and other costs or fees related to certain probation conditions (such as fees for the nonprofit program). If you settle your case by “waiver” — meaning you waive your right to a trial and plead guilty online, by mail, or before a clerk or judge — the court is usually required by law to calculate a fine based on a list drawn up by the state`s District Supreme Court judges. Current lists of preventable offences and fines to be imposed. If you are found not guilty by a court, will you have to pay court costs and attorneys` fees? Start by appearing in court on the date indicated in your notice of appearance. This is the date of the agreement. Then ask the judge for a trial because you believe you are not guilty of speeding. The legal costs for each of these types of cases vary depending on the exact nature of the case and the court before which it is heard. But each type of case involves the advance payment of the initial filing fee to start the case. Most cases also require the payment of additional fees during the course of the case, such as a fee to have a hearing on an application or a fee for the sheriff to give notices to another party (also known as a “process”). North Carolina courts do not decide the amount of court costs. The North Carolina State Constitution gives our legislature, the General Assembly, authority over court costs.
Courts are required by law to recover costs waived by the General Assembly, although in some cases the law gives court officials limited discretion to waive or reduce such costs or allow a party to delay payment. The law that sets court fees requires courts to assess and recover these costs for all convictions for crimes or violations. The Costs Act does not provide exceptions for cases settled by “waiver” online or by mail, so the courts have no choice but to assess the costs in these cases. Additional fees during the course of the case must be paid at the time you submit the documents that trigger the fee. For example, the hearing fee on an application must be paid if you submit notice of that hearing to the court. The “total amount” on the court cost table is only a subset of the total financial obligations that can be imposed in the court`s judgment in the event of a conviction if you are convicted of a crime or violation. Other costs in this table may also apply, such as an additional fee if you have not already appeared during the case, a daily fee to reimburse the days the county spent in jail during all days before your case was settled, and additional fees to convict certain types of crimes, such as interference with driving or inappropriate equipment on a motor vehicle. There is also a fee for every $10 of the base cost of your ticket: Again, it is important to note that you can get the money back from the bail if you are found not guilty of driving too fast.
Most, but not all, fees are also pardoned if they apply only to guilty cases. If you are not represented by Legal Aid or a similar organization, you can apply to the court to file an application as a person in need on Form AOC-G-106. If you do not fall into any of the categories on this form, but still want to apply to file a complaint as someone in need, the court will likely ask you to provide information about your income and expenses before deciding whether to allow it or not. So, if you don`t fit into any of the categories listed on this form, contact the county clerk`s office where you want to file your case to find out what additional information you need to provide. A directory with the contact details of each county can be found here. Many counties require you to complete this form to submit it with your petition, but some counties have local forms that they use for this purpose. Well, the truth is that a ticket costs almost $230 if you drive 15 mph above the limit, about $360 if you exceed the 25 mph limit; And so on. After all the extra charges, the bill for a speeding ticket can end up being $800 if you`re penalized for driving more than 100 mph.