This
post applies to anyone receiving a traffic citation in the state of
California, where we live.
A
few months ago, I was driving home and I passed through a
construction zone. There were some orange cones and signs put out on
the side of the road to indicate that construction work was going on.
No construction workers were on duty and I was driving at a
reasonable speed with the flow of traffic.
Next
thing I know, a police officer stops me and gives me a traffic
citation for “unsafe speed for prevailing conditions.”
I
couldn’t believe it. I haven’t had a traffic ticket in over 8
years! Up until this moment, my driving record was completely clean.
I always strive to drive at reasonable speeds without heavy
acceleration. This makes sure that I am not only safe on the road,
but I save money on gas (we only spend around $105 a month for fuel).
A
month passed and I received my citation in the mail. I was blown away
by the bail amount(s):
If
I chose to attend Traffic School, I had to pay a fine of $579.00
If I chose to pay my citation instead of attending Traffic School, I had to pay a fine of $525.00
Both
options seemed terrible. Ugh.
99%
of all people receiving a traffic ticket simply just frown, shrug
their shoulders, and then reluctantly pay the full bail amount.
If eligible, they can also pay ~$50 extra for the privilege of
attending traffic school, then pay the traffic school of their choice
$10-20, and finally then spend 400 minutes completing the traffic
school requirement.
Chumps (Hey I was one of them the last time I received and paid for my ticket).
Chumps (Hey I was one of them the last time I received and paid for my ticket).
If
you’ve already attended traffic school within 18 months, then you
are no longer eligible to attend traffic school again. If you get
points on your record, your auto insurance company may increase your
rates or even cancel your policy.
If
you are living paycheck to paycheck, a traffic violation will
definitely give you that “oh
shit” feeling when it comes to your finances. If you are
living paycheck to paycheck, a traffic ticket can be one of those
minor emergencies that you pay for with your credit card (causing you
to build up debt).
BUT
WAIT
I
remembered a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few months
ago about fighting traffic tickets by mail. In the past, I have
heard of people going to court to try to fight their ticket, but I
never knew that you could contest your ticket by mail. My friend
mentioned that she had previously contested and won two traffic
violations. I was impressed and made a mental note to myself to look
into this if me or someone I knew ever received a traffic ticket.
My
friend directed me to a website created by a team of individuals
dedicated to help people contest traffic tickets:
Ticket
Assassin
This
website will teach you how to contest your traffic ticket entirely by
mail, without appearing in person at court.
If
you look at the fine print on your traffic ticket, you will see that
you can contest your violation in one of two ways:
- Court Trial
-
Trial
by written declaration
Ticket
Assassin focuses on contesting your traffic ticket via mail through a
Written Not Guilty Plea requesting a Trial by Written
Declaration. Interestingly, contesting your traffic citation by
mail is not only more convenient (you don’t need to appear in
court), you also have a better chance at winning your case than at
trial.
And
if you lose your trial by written declaration, you then have 20 days
to request a new trial (Trial de Novo). For this second
chance, you actually do need to appear in court, but you get an extra
chance to fight your ticket, or ask for a lower bail amount. Even if
you lose the second trial, you can still go to traffic school.
It
is extremely easy to fight your traffic ticket from the comfort of
your own home. Watch this funny video guide that Ticket Assassin has
made:
Since
I did not believe my ticket was justified, I decided to contest my
citation. It was the only way I could have a chance at winning my
case, paying no fine, and having no conviction record or points on my
DMV record. Oh and it would save me hours of time spent on online
traffic school.
Ticket
Assassin is shareware. For a $25 donation, you get full
access to all the forms needed for fighting your ticket. You also
get pre written example letters and specific hand-holding
instructions on how to properly submit a not guilty plea, trial by
written declaration and trial de novo.
Shortly
after I signed up for an account at Ticket Assassin, I made my $25
donation. Patrick at Ticket Assassin was extremely helpful in
personally answering all the questions I had about the process and he
even helped me proofread my not guilty plea! I figured that even if
I did not win my case, I learned a lot from Ticket Assassin and they
gave me the hope, opportunity and guidance to fight my case.
Then
I mailed my documents and bail to my local courthouse with certified
mail and anxiously waited to hear back from the court.
Note:
When contesting your traffic citation, you still need to mail the
total bail amount with your paperwork. If you win your case or get
it dismissed, the court will refund you a check.
Well
folks, I’m excited and happy to report that after a month and a
half of waiting, I just received a letter from the court regarding my
trial by written declaration. Here was their final decision:
The court has dismissed my case and they are refunding me my full bail amount of $525!
The court has dismissed my case and they are refunding me my full bail amount of $525!
For
more information about contesting your traffic ticket, I highly
recommend checking out TicketAssassin.com.
If you want go through this entire process for free, you can also
get tips at: HelpIGotATicket.com. I didn't want to make any mistakes when contesting my ticket, so I happily paid to get help from Ticket Assassin.
The
next time you get a traffic ticket, considering fighting it. It's a
lot easier than you would think. If you can save yourself hundreds
of dollars with only a few minutes of work, I would say that is a huge
return on investment. Good luck.
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