Not exactly your area, but close. Most of the cali ones are similar...Prak wrote:Ok, so how does traffic court go? I've got a court date in the morning for a $480 red light ticket, and I have $300 put together. I've read that I basically have to put up the full amount as bail to plead my case, but literally all I want to say is "yeah, I fucked up. I drive delivery and I was worrying about getting back to work fast, not thinking about the red light. I work minimum wage and not even full time, can I have a bit of leniency here for my first offense in five years?"
So what can I expect when I get there?
Pleading financial hardship may get you community service, which may or may not save you money (having to travel, time lost to potentially work). You may also need to provide evidence of inability to pay. [edit]There may be options for payment plans as well.[/edit]https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/traffic/faq.aspx wrote: Can I make monthly payments on a failure to pay?
Monthly payments can be made to the outside collection agency, but it will not stop any suspension of your driving privilege. You must pay the fine in full in order to have your license released.
Fines
Are there any alternatives to paying the fine?
There are alternatives to paying a fine, if you qualify. Community Service is available for infraction violations. However, you will not be considered for this option unless you have a significant financial hardship. You can expect the Judge will ask you questions about that hardship. In addition, the Court will review your driving and court appearance record before any such request is granted. Even if community service is granted, you will still be required to pay court fees. In addition, there will be fees due to the Community Service Office.
You cannot perform community service and request Traffic School at the same time.
For misdemeanor violations you can serve jail time in lieu of paying the fine. You will also be required to pay court fees and fees to the Sheriff's Work Project office.
You must personally appear in court to request either of these options.
Can I request a reduction of the fine?
The Court will not negotiate or lower your fine at arraignment. If you enter a plea of Guilty or No Contest, the Court will use the standard fine from the Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule (California Rules of Court 4.102) - external link. This amount can also be increased due to points or priors on your driving record.
Don't expect to haggle the ticket fee. You could beg for a reduction in the cost of traffic school, but I don't know if they offer traffic school for red lights. I probably wouldn't go too in depth for explanation.
First offense in 5 years doesn't sound as impressive as I know it feels. I used to get a speeding ticket every 3 years (and once a year as a teen) and then I started driving more reasonably. It's been 6 years since my last ticket (45 in a 35, after construction was done and the area was supposed to be 50, but apparently not til next week so it could be used for tickets) but I still am a repeat offender objectively and in the system's eyes.
While it may be possible to plead not guilty and either bargain with the prosecutor ahead of or at the next trial date, or hope that the officer writing the ticket doesn't show... My recommendation is to just ask for community service due to financial hardship.
