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Ticket for section VC 21453 (b) how much?
I just picked up my daughter at school and I came to a STOP light,.. I stopped and proceeded to turn right and merge into traffic. I see a motorcycle cop in the left corner of the light across the street; I also made sure their were NO pedestrians in the cross walk,.. The officer pulls me over,.. I was like WHAT? I said "Why are you pulling me over?" He said "Failure to Stop at limit line before right turn at red signal. I said "I stopped officer!" I had my foot on the brake and I have a child in my car. I would NOT ignore the light. He said "Sorry, I didn't see you stop!" I GOT a ticket! I will be the FIRST one to say "I didn't stop but I stopped!" I live in northern Ca and I was wondering what the FINE is for that? Section VC 2145(b); I have a court date for Dec 29, 2009; I plan on going to tell the judge my side. Is that even going to make a difference since they always believe the officer over the citizen? I need some advice; from what I hear the ticket cost around $230 dollars,... HELP
section code: VC 21453 9(b)
IF I go to court will their be additional court fees? What are my chances of winning? 50/50
6 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
First, your cost estimate is pretty accurate. With fees, your total cost will be about $201. Your fine/fees do not increase because you decide to fight your ticket as opposed to just pleading guilty.
"Rolling" or "California" stops are more widespread than sunshine in California. The forward motion of the vehicle must come to a complete stop at or before the limit line. The vast majority of violators truly believe that they came to a full and complete stop when they didn't. This is very easy to see when watching the vehicle's wheels.
Also, many drivers roll past the limit line before coming to a stop to get into a better position from which to view and enter cross traffic. The proper way to do this is to first come to a complete stop at the limit line, then slowly roll forward to position when one can better see the cross traffic.
I'm not saying that you did either of the above. I'm just sharing the most common scenarios under which someone gets a ticket for 21453(b).
As far as fighting the ticket, good luck. If it's simply a case of you saying you stopped and the officer saying you didn't, the judge will probably find you guilty as long as he finds the officer credible. Officers who work on motorcycles are traffic officers. A primary duty of traffic officers is staking out intersections and roads, looking for specific violations. That officer very likely has worked that intersection dozens of times, and can probably do a very good job of articulating where he was positioned, his ability to observe your vehicle, etc.
I'm not discouraging you from fighting your ticket if you believe you are right. I'm saying that you need to have a better defense than "I wouldn't do such a thing" or "I don't know what the officer's talking about. I did stop."
When you go to court, the officer will tell the court his observations. You will then have the opportunity to ask the officer questions. Then you can tell the court your side of the story. Be able to talk about how you are certain that your vehicle came to a complete stop before the limit line. Find out how where your vehicle was positioned when the officer first saw you (i.e., how far back from the limit line). How far back before the limit line could the officer see? Ask if he had you under continuous observation from the time he first observed you until you passed the limit line. How heavy was traffic at the time? Is it possible that you could have come to a complete stop while a large vehicle or series of vehicles passed between you and the officer, thereby obscuring his view?
If the officer admits to some possibility that his observation of you may not have been good enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you did not stop, then you can ask the court to find that the officer did not prove his case.
Do not lie in court, though. Along with that, you shouldn't pigeon-hole yourself to a single defense. This is where many defendants fail in traffic court. You can ask the officer about any possibility that might create reasonable doubt without offering as fact that a particular possibility is what actually happened. Asking the officer if a series of cars passing by may have interfered with the officer's ability to see your vehicle is not the same as testifying that you stopped before the limit line while a bunch of cars passed by. You can raise as many possibilities of reasonable doubt as you want; the court only needs to believe one of them.
Source(s): California Law Enforcement Officer Former Traffic Court Bailiff 21453(b) UNIFORM BAIL AND PENALTY SCHEDULES - California Rules of Court, Rule 4.102, January 2009 Edition - 1 decade ago
Well, most of the state was around $351. Unfortunately, the state jacked up the fines starting Jan '09. I would expect it to be around $430 now.
I was in traffic court the other day and saw someone get found guilty of blowing a stop sign. The judge looked at the fine, kind of flinched, and told the guy he was going to give him a break. The fine was $250 after the reduction.
Source(s): Police officer - How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- 1 decade ago
wow, that just happened to me a few minutes ago but in TX.... the cop said I have to be at court and the ticket is $230. I am going to tell the judge and see what difference it makes. Good luck with your case.
- Anonymous5 years ago
Unless your cousin is an attorney licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction, no. Only your legal guardian(s), or an attorney, can represent you.
