\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. If you receive a following too cloesly ticket and go to fight the ticket in court, the court will determine whether your distance was reasonable and prudent. When do I inform the court in person that I want to fight my traffic ticket? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,935,980 times. Here, challenging a ticket involves challenging whether or not the officer saw you perform the ticketed action. But if you're fighting your ticket, you want to say "not guilty." When you plead not guilty, the judge will set a new court date for your trial. Contact Calvin Barry Lawyers for a free consultation , 416-938-5858 . If you've brought witnesses to testify on your behalf, keep your questions brief and make sure they stay in line with what you're trying to prove rather than digressing. You can print out the form and type or print the required information, or you can fill in the form online and then save it. It takes time to find a lawyer you can work with, not to mention the costs involved. Also, you could argue the officer did not accurately perceive when you crossed one of the markers. Valid evidence includes witnesses to testify that you were in the right and images proving your innocence. Don't take the risk. If you have a photo showing that the conditions actually were gray and cloudy, use it to cast doubt on her observations. However, if the stop sign was up long enough for you to be aware of it, or if you never drove that stretch of road before, or if you were driving recklessly and failed to see the sign, you would probably not win this argument. These are your options if you want to just pay the ticket and get over with it: Superior Court of California, County of Bernardino. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. TermsPrivacyDisclaimerCookiesDo Not Sell My Information, Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select, Please enter a legal issue and/or a location, Begin typing to search, use arrow Try to take pictures at the same time of day (and in similar weather conditions) as when you were stopped. If there was nobody else in your car who saw the animal and it's going to come down to your word against the word of the police officer, you're probably better off to simply pay the fine. % of people told us that this article helped them. Youll then want to go to the California Courts website to fill out a Request for Trial by Written Declaration. Fill out the form and attach any supporting evidence. However, if you feel that you were not driving too fast, then you can dispute the traffic ticket. A court trial is a 2-step process: you request an arraignment where the judge reads the charges against you and you enter a plea. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. DoNotPay allows you to successfully fight traffic tickets in New York City, Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, among other states/cities. Try not to worry, though. Weigh the pros and cons of fighting the ticket or simply paying the fine. As reported by VentureBeat, the DNP bot has overturned over 160,000 traffic tickets and still counting. Then, the officer uses a stopwatch to measure the amount of time it takes cars to pass between the points. Research source Request the officers notes to see if theres a transcript of you admitting that you were speeding, which will discredit your case. For example, you can cast doubt on the officers recollection by pointing out inconsistencies in his testimony. This is a great way to fight a ticket because you do not have to dispute the officer's statement or the charge in the ticket, but rather show circumstances that necessitated your driving. Read the operators manual for the technology that was used and try to find a limitation that you can use. Most people find it easier to just pay a traffic ticket than to try to fight it. Many traffic laws are not absolute and rely on the driver to make an honest assessment of what conduct is best given weather and highway conditions. You can dispute your traffic ticket and have the penalty reduced or voided altogether. This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. How to Fight a Traffic Ticket In California and Win. Fighting a traffic ticket can be a challenge, but if you have hard evidence that the officer made a mistake, you can win the claim. Never skip court. These should be issued free of charge. Complex traffic tickets usually require a lawyer, Experienced lawyers can seek to reduce or eliminate penalties. California can raise revenue quickly by sending this red light camera ticket to your home. Choose your type of trial. The time will then be mathematically calculated to produce a miles-per-hour reading. Thats enough reason to learn how to fight a traffic ticket in California. 1. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. In states that have such laws, the posted speed limit is not the clear-cut law, and a driver has the discretion to travel at a speed that is safe given the traffic conditions. By using our site, you agree to our. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. If a ticket will significantly increase your auto insurance or lead to a license suspension, you may want to speak with a traffic law attorney for guidance.. Even if you think the ticket is . This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Fight Traffic Ticket in California. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Contact a qualified traffic ticket attorney to help you get the best result possible. Passengers or bystanders who will testify to your version of events can help you convince the judge that you were right and the police officer's observations were inaccurate. How to Fight California Traffic Ticket admin 2022-12-07T16:36:05-08:00. Here, the officer follows behind you for a length of time and then looks down at his own odometer to measure your speed. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/9\/91\/Fight-a-Traffic-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Fight-a-Traffic-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/9\/91\/Fight-a-Traffic-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Fight-a-Traffic-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"