In Charlotte, it is rare not to see a school bus during your morning or afternoon commute and at some point, we have all been stopped behind one. As frustrating as it may be to have our commute delayed while we wait behind a school bus, be warned that the penalty for passing a stopped school bus is extremely harsh.
North Carolina Law, specifically General Statute § 20-217, requires that you stop for a stopped school bus that is displaying its stop signal or its flashing red lights and is stopped for picking up or dropping off passengers. Law enforcement officers in Mecklenburg County place an emphasis on enforcing this and frequently write citations for unlawfully passing a stopped school bus. Additionally, prosecutors in most jurisdictions across North Carolina are reluctant to negotiate these charges down because they are fearful of potential negative publicity.
Accordingly, if you find yourself charged with unlawfully passing a stopped school bus it is imperative that you understand the severe penalties you face and the options that you may have available to you if you hire a Charlotte traffic ticket attorney. In our experience, most people charged with this offense have clean driving records, never intended to pass a stopped school bus and simply do not deserve the Draconian punishment that accompanies this charge.
In North Carolina Passing a Stopped School Bus is a Crime
Most traffic violations are infractions, however, passing a stopped School Bus is a class 1 misdemeanor. The maximum punishment for a Class 1 misdemeanor is 120 days in jail. Typically, if found guilty of unlawfully passing a stopped school bus, one would not be sentenced to active jail time but rather probation and/or community service and some type of driving school.
North Carolina will not allow a PJC
A prayer for judgment continued, PJC, in not available for passing a stopped school bus.
