Courthouse unveils online system
CHARLOTTE – Mecklenburg County Courts just came up with a computer program where certain speeding tickets and compliance infractions can be handled online.
Eligible online cases are speeding tickets greater than five and less than 20 miles per hour over the limit.
“You don’t have to spend time to come down here, park, find your way to the court room [and] stand in line with 800 to 1,000 other people,” Court Outreach Administrator Charles Keller said.
Compliance matters like expired tags can also be eligible for the new online system.
Speeding in a school zone, over 80 miles per hour or o20 over the posted limit still requires a date with a judge.
Every day on there are anywhere from 800 to 1,400 cases on the docket that are speeding tickets and minor criminal offenses. The hope is that with this new computer program, they’ll be able to dramatically decrease this list.
“We hope to reduce court appearances for these matters by anywhere from 20 to 40 percent,” Keller said. “In doing this, we are going to free up assistant district attorneys who can focus their attention on more serious matters.”
Tickets negotiated online still need to be paid with a check or money order and mailed to the courthouse.
The plan is to make it all-inclusive in the future.