My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
Following are the facts:
-Speed approx 90 in a 70zone
-Ticket issued by CHP (I didn't argue or plead with the officer because I thought it was going to be a warning. Read on this forum that CHP rarely give out warnings :( )
-First moving violation so I do have traffic school as an option but it seems costly ($350 ticket + $64 traffic school)
-Court in question is The Superior Court of Kern County. I live in San Francisco. It's 300mi away
Here are my questions:
- I really don't want to drive down to Bakersfield to for this ticket unless that really, drastically changes something. Is doing this via mail a good idea?
- If I were to show up, can I show up on any date before the due date? How does this work? My citation has a different date than the courtesy notice and I just got an extension on that too. So there's 3 dates. Which one am I supposed to appear on (the first one has passed)
- I called up the DA's office to ask if they offer some plea bargain to first time offenders. Ideally, I'll be super happy if they were to reduce my fine amount by say $100. I'll pay up and take traffic school in that case. Again, I understand that judges offer such reductions if one appears in court but I don't want to go so far. Anyway, the DA's office said that I would have to write a letter to the judge pleading either not guilty or no contest and in the latter case, request a reduction or whatever I want. Then the judge decides. So the real question I have is- what am I better off doing: Pleading no contest (letter to the judge) and requesting some leniency (on what grounds?) or pleading not guilty, doing TBWD and hoping the officer doesn't decide to give in his paperwork (basically bank on it being the holiday season)
Thanks a lot for your advice :) Every bit that I have read here is helpful!
PS- if it really, really is a sure shot thing that the judge will reduce my fine if I go to court, I can. It's a possibility so please do consider that as an (inconvenient) option :)
Following are the facts:
-Speed approx 90 in a 70zone
-Ticket issued by CHP (I didn't argue or plead with the officer because I thought it was going to be a warning. Read on this forum that CHP rarely give out warnings :( )
-First moving violation so I do have traffic school as an option but it seems costly ($350 ticket + $64 traffic school)
-Court in question is The Superior Court of Kern County. I live in San Francisco. It's 300mi away
Here are my questions:
- I really don't want to drive down to Bakersfield to for this ticket unless that really, drastically changes something. Is doing this via mail a good idea?
- If I were to show up, can I show up on any date before the due date? How does this work? My citation has a different date than the courtesy notice and I just got an extension on that too. So there's 3 dates. Which one am I supposed to appear on (the first one has passed)
- I called up the DA's office to ask if they offer some plea bargain to first time offenders. Ideally, I'll be super happy if they were to reduce my fine amount by say $100. I'll pay up and take traffic school in that case. Again, I understand that judges offer such reductions if one appears in court but I don't want to go so far. Anyway, the DA's office said that I would have to write a letter to the judge pleading either not guilty or no contest and in the latter case, request a reduction or whatever I want. Then the judge decides. So the real question I have is- what am I better off doing: Pleading no contest (letter to the judge) and requesting some leniency (on what grounds?) or pleading not guilty, doing TBWD and hoping the officer doesn't decide to give in his paperwork (basically bank on it being the holiday season)
Thanks a lot for your advice :) Every bit that I have read here is helpful!
PS- if it really, really is a sure shot thing that the judge will reduce my fine if I go to court, I can. It's a possibility so please do consider that as an (inconvenient) option :)
Speeding Tickets: Pleading by Mail: No Contest or Not Guilty
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