How to Fight a Traffic Ticket in Los Angeles, California

Being pulled over by the police is never pleasant, and the outcome could have lasting affects. It's important not to disregard any ticket you get, and note receiving the ticket is only the beginning of the situation. For example, you can choose to fight the ticket. In Los Angeles, County, once you get a ticket, you have to wait until the ticket is processed before you know how much it actually is. This could take a few weeks.

You can check to see if your ticket has been processed by calling the courthouse, or going online (http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/). When your ticket is processed, you will need to choose a court date.

At your court hearing, you can make a plea of guilty or not guilty. If you chose guilty, you pay your fine, and court cost. However, if you chose not guilty, you will still pay, but you will receive another court date. The new court date will be at least 30 days away, and be at 8:30 am or 1:30 pm. If you have not already, once you get this new court date you need to start your plan of action to fight your ticket.

The first strategy is to plead not guilty, and to show up to your new court date. By doing this, you have now a 50-50 chance of getting your citation revoked. This is because in order to be found guilty the officer has to show up to court to testify. If the officer doesn't appear, their burden has not been meet, and you will be found not guilty. Most importantly, you will receive a refund of your previous payment, and nothing will appear on your DMV record.

As a reminder, when you are pulled over by an officer, and are given a ticket, talk as less as possible, and do not admit to breaking the law. You do not want the officer to remember anything about you. If you leave a bad taste in the officer's mouth, he/she may make it their mission to show up to court that date.