We were visiting LA with family in February and we had to follow another car in order to find way to hotel and front car passed the yellow light and I tried to do the same thing, but for less then 0.5 seconds I missed the yellow light and it turned to red and the hidden camera flashed and took pictures. Now I live almost 3000 miles away from LA and they have sent me a fine $360.00, which I believe I am not guilty, because I couldn’t have sudden stop (babies in car) and I was afraid of the third car behind me. How can I tell judge when I not in court.
2007-03-12 06:54:22 · 14 answers · asked by RRRR 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Bad news, my friend -- in California it's next to impossible to fight a ticket for running a red light when they have your picture on a traffic camera. The problem is they have PROOF you ran the red light, and since yellow lights in Calfornia are required by law to be yellow for three seconds it's highly unlikely that the judge is going to be persuaded by your story. Maybe you should hit up the friend you were following for half the fine since it wouldn't have been a problem at all if he/she had stopped for the light.
2007-03-12 07:15:01 · answer #1 · answered by sarge927 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, you can go down there or you can hire a lawyer to appear for you.
Both of which would cost more than the $360.00 so I would just bit the bullet and pay the fine.
No courts I know of will accept written evidence in this type of situation, but I suppose you could write the magistrate or registrar and try.
Plus any submission you make in writing would have to be under oath, so if you are going to try by mail, have a Notary take an affidavit of any submission you wish to make.
From the sounds of your story, any effort in this regard would likely be all for not. Following someone is not an excuse to run a red light...and yes, if you were in the intersection when the light turned red, that is what you did. Those camera's don't go off for a yellow!
Also, being pre-emptively afraid of what the person behind you is going to do is also not an excuse, you are to be responsible for stopping your car, and he is responsible for his. Anyway, a small rearend is alot better than a 40mph t bone!!
2007-03-12 07:01:23 · answer #2 · answered by elysialaw 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Exactly what you said right here. I have a cousin somewhat in the same situation. She had a car that stalled easily so she ran the yellow because she thought she would stall if she didn't while she was waiting for the green light again. She had her fine reduced to 1/3rd of the original fine. Not alot of people try to fight those tickets, so the few people I do know that have tried, have won or at least had the fine reduced. I would go for it, there's nothing to lose and you might just get away with it. Good luck!
2007-03-12 07:03:52 · answer #3 · answered by Vanessa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're not even supposed to drive through a yellow light. Yellow light means "stop if safe". So, if you couldn't suddenly stop, and drove through the yellow, that's allowed.
You drove through a red light. By your own admission. Following another car is not a legal excuse. That means you are guilty of the traffic offense.
Pay the ticket.
2007-03-12 06:59:15 · answer #4 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are guilty. If you tell them the story you put on here - you are guilty. It doesn't matter if you were following a car or not, so just forget about that. It doesn't matter if you had kids in the car or not - you should have been driving at a speed and distance that you could stop with kids in the car then. So, forget that. You are guilty. You're not going to get out of it, but hopefully you learned your lesson.
2007-03-12 06:59:34 · answer #5 · answered by jennifer74781 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I understand your frustration. My son was killed at a traffic light. There were contradicting reports as to what happend, but it leaves me with the conscept of life now to never take a chance at a traffic light. I'm sure you have a point to be argued, but my advice is to pay the fine, let it go, because there is no way to fight it in your situation, and be VERY careful at intersections. Good luck to you.
2007-03-12 07:04:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You went through the ligh after it was red which is why the camera snapped your plate. "I was following someone" is not a defense.
Driver's stop everyday for yellow lights without slamming on the brakes or endangering their children - or even getting rearended as you claim was your fear. If you plan to fight it then you are going to have to go back to the jurisdiction that it occurred in.
2007-03-12 07:01:51 · answer #7 · answered by Susie D 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You tried to beat the light and got caught. You must have been following that car very closely. Pay the ticket.
2007-03-12 07:03:04 · answer #8 · answered by firewomen 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Even though you didn't mean to, you still ran a red light. They have a photograph proving it. It s*cks but would probably be much easier if you just paid the fine.
2007-03-12 07:03:45 · answer #9 · answered by Maudie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
HA!!! The rule of the road says you must be in control of your vehicle at all times. Just because your friend blew the yellow didn't mean you should have. You have no excuse....
2007-03-12 07:53:33 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋