In an operation similar to the ones in Visalia and Porterville, Chula Vista
police wrote
99 citations for cell phone violations in four hours.
The city-wide operation produced 54 tickets for talking on a cell phone, 45 for texting, seven for driving with a suspended license, and six for other unspecified infractions, and authorities plan at least two more crackdowns before Distracted Driving Awareness Month concludes at the end of April.
A grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funded the operation.
STEP and MEP Campaigns
As a rule of thumb, any time officers write citations outside their normal shifts and beats, the tickets can be questioned. That is why questions directed to officers like “what is your normal beat” and “what is your normal shift” are not just time-killing filler questions. Many times, the attorney is setting up a game-changing defense.
Publishing heiress Patty Hearst, who has some first-hand knowledge in this area, once said that “trouble is very easy to find when you go looking for it.” That same principle applies in heightened enforcement campaigns. When officers are pulled off their normal schedules, placed in a certain area, and instructed to write a certain type of ticket, that is what they will do.
This dynamic is especially true for Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs. Since the government is paying for officer overtime and other program costs, the higher-ups often expect a significant return on their investment.
Maximum Enforcement Period campaigns work a bit differently. Typically, officers are reassigned during their normal shifts and highly encouraged to write citations for a certain type of violation.
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.