Okafor speeding ticket deal upheld: $439 fine, no community service

A Camden County judge ruled Thursday that an initial plea deal offered to 76ers player Jahlil Okafor was valid, meaning Okafor will pay a $439 fine for speeding on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge but will not be required to do community service, Okafor's attorney said.

Andrew Smith said that Okafor had paid the fee on the charges, but that the check was not accepted because Camden's law office decided it wanted to vacate the agreement. Smith said he believed this was so that community service could be added to Okafor's punishment.

"If it was anyone else who had that same ticket, they wouldn't have demanded anything or tried to overturn that plea agreement," Smith said.

Camden City Attorney Marc Riondino, who oversees the law office, did not return a call Thursday.

Winnie Comfort, a spokeswoman for New Jersey's courts, said community service was not part of the discussion because it was not part of the plea deal agreed to last October.

Okafor was charged with driving his white Mercedes-Maybach at 108 mph across the bridge on Oct. 19. The speed limit is 45 mph.

Smith said Municipal Court Judge Robert T. Zane, who oversees municipal courts in Camden County, determined Thursday that the plea agreement was valid and that the court would process Okafor's payment.

Smith said his client had "learned his lesson" about speeding. "Now he knows to be more cognizant of how he operates his car on the roads," Smith said.

Smith said a reckless-driving charge was dismissed and a charge of driving at an excessive rate of speed was amended to operating in an unsafe manner, to which Okafor pleaded guilty as part of the deal.

mboren@phillynews.com 856-779-3829 @borenmc