Up until forty or fifty years ago, many drivers in Bakersfield and Fresno quite literally carried “get out of jail free” cards.

The much ballyhooed courtesy cards were typically officers’ business cards with handwritten instructions that the officer “extend every courtesy” to the driver during a traffic stop. A wayward driver could present the card to the officer who would not issue a ticket, collect the card, and mail it back to the officer who originally presented it. Back in the day, it was not unusual for citizens to carry three or four courtesy cards from three or four different officers.

In 1923, Los Angeles Police Department Chief August Vollmer was one of the first officials to speak out against the practice. Probably not coincidentally, he was forced to resign the very next year.

Defenses to Traffic Tickets

The courtesy cards may be a relic of the past, but there are still a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the harmful effects of a traffic ticket in Kern County.

Sometimes, the officer’s observation is impaired. Assume that the officer points a radar gun at a group of cars. That evidence, standing alone, proves that one vehicle in the group was speeding but doesn’t necessarily show which one was speeding.

There is also a subjective defense in California on some roads – drivers can argue that their speeds were reasonable under the circumstances – and often it’s difficult for police officers to follow all of the technical rules for supplying the traffic survey that’s need in order to enforce the speed limit in reasonable speed zones.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive lawyers at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-859-1177 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-376-0214.