September 15 was the deadline for courts in Fresno County, Tulare County, and several other jurisdictions to implement the new no-bail rule that the California Chief Justice announced earlier in the summer.
Previously, to fight a citation in these courts, drivers had to post the entire amount of the ticket before they received a court date – fines, penalty assessments, and everything. People who fought their tickets and won could expect a refund whenever the clerks got around to cutting the check, and it’s a safe bet that refunds weren’t at the top of the priority list. That rule change is also good news for drivers who missed their court dates, because attorneys may be able to get the warrants or suspensions set aside and get the cases back on the docket in many cases without having to post bail.
Judges can still assess a bail fee, but the conditions for avoiding posting bail are much easier to meet.
Missed Court Dates
Most judges do not accept many excuses for missed court dates, late payments, or missed deadlines. They consider such behavior evidence that the person does not believe the case is serious, and to a large extent, the judges are probably right. Upon any of these events, the state promptly suspends the person’s drivers’ license and imposes a $300 additional fee on each violation. As a result, millions of operators are driving with a suspended license, and a great many of them probably do not even know it.
An attorney can get the suspension order lifted and the case placed back on the docket. So, regardless of your reason for missing the appearance date or deadline, you can still have your day in court. As an added bonus, most courts allow a lawyer to appear on your behalf, so we can take care of almost everything.
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.