3/25    I got a ticket for running a stop sign [around midnight in SF ...
        (no traffic)].  The cop claimed I didnt even slow down but went
        throught it at 30mph.  I may have not done a full stop, but what
        he is claiming is totally wrong.  This is hopeless to argue and I
        should just do traffic school, right?
        \_ Do a trial by written declaration. I got out of a red light ticket
           in SF. The cop claimed that I "totally" ran a red light and he
           even saw the camera light flash. I checked with the city and there
           was no camera in the direction I was driving so I wrote and said
           that the cop must have been either distracted or something, because
           no such flash could have gone off... he was a jerk anyway for giving
           me a ticket even though he thought that I'd get a second one in the
           mail.
           \_ concur with this respondent, do this.
              \_ Unfortunately there were two cops in the car for one thing
                 and I'm sure they would back each other up.  And the best
                 I could say is "I live around here, so of course I would
                 have known there was a STOP there."  I can't "prove" something
                 like you could about the camera.
        \_ i tried to get out of a california stop in berkeley several years
           ago, no luck.
        \_ Your best bet is to ask for a hearing in traffic court and hope
                \_ this isnt a "best bet" but "rolling the dice". and
                   considering you dont know what your 'saving throw' roll
                   is, this doesnt seem a great thing to bet on. is the cop
                   not showing up probability 50% or 5% or ... ? anyone have
                   some guess about the base rate on a no show? --psb
                   \_ Whoah. "saving throw", Partha? You must be as old as I am
                      or older. -- ulysses
                      \_ Because kids today don't play d&d, they play magic?
                      \_ why is that old?  a bunch of 13 year old proto dorks
                         play D&D at the cafe by my house.
                         \_ I see. Please forgive my ignorance. I really was
                            under the impression that rolling dice, indexing
                            damage tables and all that had been replaced by
                            more automated modes of play like card decks and
                            software. Then again, my last attempt an an RPG
                            session was coming on a decade ago. -- ulysses
                            \_ nope, new charts, new tables, same dice.
                      \_ Hell, Ulysses, being older than you isn't that hard.
                         Or rare.
                            \_ True. I think my issue is that I didn't know how
                               old Partha is, though. Then again, Sandy
                               or somebody else probably did tell me at some
                               point.  -- ulysses
                               \_ Old... old like the hills... old.
                   \_ If you are just going to ask the judge for traffic
                      school if they show, the risk is low. There is a tiny
                      chance the judge will say no and fine you I guess,
                      but most likely they will just accept your plea.
                      school if they show, the risk is low. There is a
                      tiny chance the judge will say no, I guess, but most
                      likely they will just accept your plea.
                      \_ I'm not trying to offend you, but do you know
                         this because you worked for a city gov or your
                         brother-in-law is a cop or...
                         \_ I could claim any reason, since this is an
                            anonymous forum. Let's just say that I know
                            plenty of lawyers, including a couple in my
                      \_ I'm not trying to offend you, but do you know
                            family. This is the "standard way" to fight
                            a traffic ticket. Pay a lawyer $100 to tell
                            you the same thing if it makes you feel better.
                   \_ CA cops almost always show so don't depend on that.
                         \_ I see.  It's always CHP busting me, not locals. tx.
                         this because you worked for a city gov or your
                         brother-in-law is a cop or...
                   \_ CA cops almost always show so don't depend on that.
                      \_ Not true. CHP almost always show, but for city cops,
                         it depends on the locality. I dunno for SF.
                         \_ This is true; my brother has beaten tix in CA by
                            counting on local PD not to show.
                         \_ I see.  It's always CHP busting me, not locals. tx.
           that he doesn't show up. If he shows, then just ask for traffic
           school. If you really want to be clever, if he shows, you can
           ask for a continuation, saying your lawyer didn't show, and then
           try and reschedule for when the officer is on vacation or something
           but you are on pretty thin ice here. I would just plead guilty
           at that point and ask for traffic school.
        \_ If your dad is the president or head of the CIA, you can have all
           charged dropped.
           \_ Wow! That worked! Thanks! -op
           \_ What if I belong to a powerful political MA dynasty and I left
              a woman to drown to death in my car in a lake?  Can I still be
              a Senator?
              \_ Or if you abandon your children (ie not pay child support)
                 after you abandoned your wife and she divorced you, and
                 you lead a charge to champion "family values" while
                 Speaker of the House
        \_ Kill the cop, then he can't show.  With no witnesses, you win!
        \_ Time == money. The fine is $315 or so. If it's worth your time
           to fight it (and possibly lose), go ahead. Read the citation.
           If it's just failure to stop, it's just about impossible to fight
           it (without witnesses). If it says you missed the sign completely
           or went through at specific high speed, you might have a case,
           especially if you very are familiar with the area (ie. you know
           the stop is there and could NEVER have run it at the speed noted.)
        \_ If your dad is the president or head of the CIA, you can have all
           charged dropped.
           \_ Wow! That worked! Thanks! -op
           \_ What if I belong to a powerful political MA dynasty and I left
              a woman to drown to death in my car in a lake?  Can I still be
              a Senator?
              \_ Or if you abandon your children (ie not pay child support)
                 after you abandoned your wife and she divorced you, and
                 you lead a charge to champion "family values" while
                 Speaker of the House