For some reason, one out of state lawmaker thought that
burning his traffic ticket meant that authorities in places like Bakersfield would let him off the hook.
Tennessee State Representative Andy Holt (R-Martin) recently burned one of his camera traffic tickets and posted the video on Facebook; he simultaneously issued a press release that encouraged other drivers to do the same thing. Responding in an email, Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch basically shook his head. “Burning a citation or throwing it away is an emotional response that may feel good, but it does not make the violation and accountability go away,” he opined.
Rep. Holt is a longtime critic of photo enforcement citations.
Ticket Defenses
Ignoring a California traffic ticket is a terrible idea, because the state will suspend your drivers’ license and it is only a matter of time before authorities catch you. Paying the citation just to “get it over with” is only a slightly better idea, because of the high cost in terms of fines, penalty assessments, and points.
Fortunately, there are a number of defenses that an aggressive attorney can use. Some of these strategies include:
- Insufficient Signage: Some violations, like construction zone speeding tickets, require specific verbiage in the signs; in other situations, vandals have defaced the sign or a tree at least partially blocks it.
- Vehicle Cluster: If an officer aims a radar gun at a cluster of vehicles, there is evidence that one of them was speeding, but only secondary evidence as to which one was speeding.
- 85th Percentile: In most cases, the speed limit must match the velocity of 85 percent of the traffic on that roadway on non-freeway or highway roads.
An attorney can leverage these defenses, and others like them, to get the ticket thrown out or at least get the penalties reduced.
Getting Legal Help
The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.