Daphne Michelle Wynn entered a plea of nolo contendere to a school-zone speeding charge in Clayton County State Court on Aug. 28, the court record shows.
Prosecutors said Wynn was driving 51 miles per hour in a posted 25 mph school zone when school lights were flashing on March 13, 2020. The state recommended a $300 fine; Judge Tammy Long Hayward reduced the fine to $200 after Wynn described having spent time in custody related to a bench warrant. The judge set the total with surcharges at $298 and allowed 60 days to pay.
Why it matters: Speeding in a school zone carries heightened safety concern and often higher fines; the plea and credit for time in custody adjusted the financial penalty.
The prosecutor provided a factual basis: "On 03/13/2020, the defendant before you, miss Daphne Michelle Wynne, was driving on the roadways of Clayton County ... at 51 miles per hour when that speed was listed as 25 miles per hour." The judge accepted the nolo plea, explained the rights forfeited by entering a nolo plea, and instructed Wynn to provide an email address to court clerk Amanda Wright for payment instructions.
Wynn asked whether spending a night in jail would produce any concession; the prosecutor and judge reviewed the docket and the judge reduced the fine from $300 to $200 based on the custody time documented in the file. The court confirmed Wynn was eligible for a nolo plea and advised that a nolo plea can prevent points on a driver's license in certain cases, subject to eligibility criteria.
Judge Hayward told Wynn to expect an emailed sentencing sheet and cautioned that failure to pay by the deadline could result in the issuance of an arrest warrant.