# Need Help with CA Speeding Ticket **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 3, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678 "2017-04-03T20:06:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/1 "2017-04-03T20:06:53Z")
A dear friend of mine in California may be facing jail time over a speeding ticket she can’t pay. I want to help her, but I don’t know how. We need some help here. Anyone who knows folks near Antelope Valley or Palmdale, California who might be able to help, or good resources for things like this, please let me know. It’s not eligible under the amnesty program, but it is overdue, and I’m really worried about her. And even if you don’t know anyone, if you could help signal boost this, it would be great. The details I have at the moment: she was going 13 over the speed limit, it’s not eligible for the amnesty program which is ending today, she hasn’t gone to a hearing over it due to her rather absurd distance from the relevant courthouse and some personal issues with courts having to do with an abusive ex-husband, the ticket is probably something like two years old at this point, and close to $1000. I don’t know what to do, or how to help. Maybe someone here does. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/2 "2017-04-03T20:19:27Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/3 "2017-04-03T20:20:43Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > The easy way is to send her $1,000. Or are you looking for options where she doesn’t have to pay? Because that will probably take longer and likely end up with her paying the $1,000 anyway. I don’t have a grand to toss around, unfortunately. The goal here involves _not_ paying that much. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/4 "2017-04-03T20:26:22Z")
Has she contacted the court? Probably too late to fight the ticket, but they might be able to mitigate the additional fines due to time. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/5 "2017-04-03T20:34:32Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this involves both advice and potential legal issues, let’s move this to IMHO (from GQ). Any factual information about resources may of course still be posted here. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/6 "2017-04-03T20:38:39Z")
Wow. Just read up on CA speeding tickets. The base fines are low but the fees tacked on are ridiculous. It looks like her speeding ticket was $35 but ~$200 is added in fees. Late payments can result in these charges being 4-7 times more. Everywhere I looked recommends contacting a California lawyer who specializes in speeding tickets. Here in Canada there is an option to propose a payment plan to the court. This would include a breakdown of income, expenses, budget, etc… and the monthly amount you are able to pay until the debt is settled. It would also stop the debt from accruing interest or any more fees. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/7 "2017-04-03T20:44:49Z")
With $1k on the line it is worth it to contact a lawyer for a phone consultation to review her options. The Ca. state bar referral service can be found [here](http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/LawyerReferralServicesLRS.aspx). It’s usually only about $20 for a quick phone conversation with an attorney specializing in this to hear the details of the situation and offer a recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/8 "2017-04-03T21:40:15Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Wow. Just read up on CA speeding tickets. The base fines are low but the fees tacked on are ridiculous. > > It looks like her speeding ticket was $35 but ~$200 is added in fees. Late payments can result in these charges being 4-7 times more. > > Everywhere I looked recommends contacting a California lawyer who specializes in speeding tickets. > > Here in Canada there is an option to propose a payment plan to the court. This would include a breakdown of income, expenses, budget, etc… and the monthly amount you are able to pay until the debt is settled. It would also stop the debt from accruing interest or any more fees. It’s because they use the fees from traffic tickets to finance the court system. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/9 "2017-04-03T23:17:36Z")
Call them and see if they will agree to a payment program of some kind. Ignoring it will not make it go away, they will or have issued a warrant for her arrest at some point. This can be highly inconvenient at best. They don’t give a shit about ex-husbands or anything of the sort, they want the money. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/10 "2017-04-04T00:07:33Z")
Can she appear to a traffic court judge to beg mercy and plead her case? I’ve seen some ridiculous fines and fees reduced severely. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/11 "2017-04-04T02:10:45Z")
In California, you can usually do a traffic class and get a ticket dismissed (for things like this anyway). You can do those online, so she wouldn’t have to go back to Antelope Valley. Since it’s been so long, she should probably talk to a traffic attorney or call the court and speak with someone about how to get this set up. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/12 "2017-04-04T04:47:34Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > In California, you can usually do a traffic class and get a ticket dismissed (for things like this anyway). You can do those online, so she wouldn’t have to go back to Antelope Valley. Since it’s been so long, she should probably talk to a traffic attorney or call the court and speak with someone about how to get this set up. You have to pay the ticket - on time - to qualify for traffic school. All that does is keep points from accumulating and affecting your insurance rates and driving privilege. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/13 "2017-04-04T05:30:55Z")
If it’s two years old, does that mean it’s already been adjudicated and is delinquent? Typically if distance is an issue a person can request trial by declaration and do it via letter to avoid long travel. You’ll probably still lose, but it’s worth a shot. If it’s two years old that option may not be available. Is the person a resident of CA? If not, then I’m wondering how jail time would be involved. I have heard that people have had luck asking for payment plans, but only when they make the requests timely. Lawyer is probably your best bet and Crazhorse in post #7 gave the link to the referral service. Each county has one I think, and some offer free consults, others charge like $30. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/14 "2017-04-04T05:47:01Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Wow. Just read up on CA speeding tickets. The base fines are low but the fees tacked on are ridiculous. > > It looks like her speeding ticket was $35 but ~$200 is added in fees. Late payments can result in these charges being 4-7 times more. > > Everywhere I looked recommends contacting a California lawyer who specializes in speeding tickets. > > Here in Canada there is an option to propose a payment plan to the court. This would include a breakdown of income, expenses, budget, etc… and the monthly amount you are able to pay until the debt is settled. It would also stop the debt from accruing interest or any more fees. California is a large, high population state with 58 separate counties with their own laws and policies, let alone individual municipalities. There is no specific California fee or penalty, so you can’t really assume what the original penalty was. I’ve never gotten an LA county ticket, but I imagine it was quite a bit more than $35. A lot of traffic ticket laws only give judges so much leeway to reduce, and there are often minimum fees that they can’t go below. She should definitely contact the court with contrition, and can probably do community service to pay it off. Sounds like the court is far, but maybe there is a closer option to work it off. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/15 "2017-04-04T09:16:05Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > California is a large, high population state with 58 separate counties with their own laws and policies, let alone individual municipalities. There is no specific California fee or penalty, so you can’t really assume what the original penalty was. I’ve never gotten an LA county ticket, but I imagine it was quite a bit more than $35. Some fees are county or city based, but many are statewide. [2012 article:](http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-courts-how-your-35-speeding-ticket-becomes-a-235-2012aug18-story.html) > [@](#): > > Today, the penalty assessment is nearly double the 2002 amount, adding $30 for every $10 of original fine, or fraction thereof, according to state court documents. > > It includes $10 for state programs, $9 for the county, $5 to fund state court construction, $4 to fund DNA identification programs and a $2 surcharge that goes directly to the state’s general fund. > … > Over the last decade, state lawmakers have also added several flat fees: a $40 court operations assessment, a $35 criminal conviction assessment for infractions, and a $4 fee to fund emergency medical air transportation. > > So that hypothetical $10 base fine balloons to $120. A $100 fine explodes to $480. > > That doesn’t include the additional $55 fee for those requesting traffic school ---- on top of the cost of the class. On top of those, counties and cities can add additional fees and assessments of course. Here is what the [state DMV says](http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/traffic-ticket-fines-and-penalties.php): > [@](#): > > **California Traffic Ticket Fines and Costs** > > Traffic fines in California are difficult to pinpoint due to additional penalty assessment fees and surcharges that vary by county. Consequently, a traffic ticket with a $35 base fine may actually cost you $146. For help with fee explanations contact the county court listed on your citation. > If you can’t locate your ticket, visit our page on Lost Traffic Tickets. > **Surcharges** > The state charges a 20% surcharge on all traffic tickets. This means, for example, a $40 fine will incur a surcharge of $8. > List of Other Additional Fees > State Penalty Assessment > County Penalty Assessment > Court Facility Construction Penalty Assessment > DNA Identification Fund Penalty Assessment > Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Penalty Assessment Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/16 "2017-04-04T10:15:07Z")
Thank you all for the responses. I’m not constantly in contact with this person, so responses to the questions may take a little while, but she is a resident of California. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/17 "2017-04-04T15:18:24Z")
AV courts are a complete old boys network. The best solution for her (but one she may not be able to afford) is to get a local attorney to talk to the judge. If she is known to the court because of the issues with the ex-husband she may be completely fucked\*. \*Based on personal experience. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/18 "2017-04-04T16:52:39Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The best solution for her (but one she may not be able to afford) is to get a local attorney to talk to the judge. IANAL, but wouldn’t that be ex parte communication? ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/19 "2017-04-04T17:35:04Z")
It may be too late given that the ticket is 2 years overdue, but she could ask the judge for community service. My brother-in-law got a red-light camera ticket that would have been ~$500. He did the trial by declaration thing, lost, then reported to court and asked for community service in lieu of the fine. He spent a few weekends manning the counter in a charity thrift store (I think Goodwill, but not sure). This was in Los Angeles County, so same court system as your friend. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678/20 "2017-04-04T18:40:03Z")
if she goes to jail she is probably looking at checking in, going to a holding cell for a few hours and checking back out. My girlfriend was sentended to 9 months for a DUI, she did about 6 hours. Thats well worth $1,000 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-with-ca-speeding-ticket/783678.md?page=2)