Before you go cruising along the streets of Lamont and Shafter, think about
what happened to some cruisers in Orange County.
The day after Christmas last year, 29-year-old Bryan Casella drove his $117,000 Nissan GTR along with about a dozen other high-performance cars to “use the car[s and] show off.” The parade of high-end sports cars encountered a couple of glitches along the way – a Lamborghini driver got a speeding ticket and a Mustang driver got in what was characterized as a non-injury accident with a bicyclist – but other than that, a good time was had by all.
The good times ended about a month later, when police started asking questions. The bicyclist went to a hospital after initially refusing medical treatment, where he was treated for serious injuries. Officers also seized a GoPro camera from the Lamborghini. According to an affidavit, the footage shows the drivers “jockeying from lane to lane,” using green lights as flagmen to stage impromptu races, and generally driving recklessly. Authorities confiscated sixteen cars, including Mr. Casella’s Nissan.
He denies racing but does admit to “short bursts of speed.”
Racing
VC 23109 is the street racing law. It is a two-point infraction with a $402 fine. It is also a misdemeanor that carries a maximum 90 days in jail, $1,000 fine, and six months’ drivers’ license suspension.
Subsection (a) defines “speed contest” very broadly as “a motor vehicle race against another vehicle, a clock, or other timing device.” So, if the driver tells the officer that he/she was speeding to avoid being late for work, an aggressive officer could theoretically issue a VC 23109 citation.
Racing can often be reduced to standard speeding, which has a lower fine, is Traffic School-eligible, involves no mandatory license suspension, and is only a one-point infraction.
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.