Signage in a School Zone

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: Washington

A new school zone (from 7am-4pm) was created about about one month ago on a route that I have used almost daily for 6 years. At 7:25am, I turned left into the new 20mph school zone going from a 30mph zone. The 30mph zone I turned off of has always been a school zone if lights are flashing (they weren't flashing and do not start flashing until 7:45 am). The sign for the new zone is posted at the corner of the turn. About 30-40 feet past the school zone sign and the intersection is a sign that reads 25mph. In the direction I was traveling, there are no other signs indicating a school zone after the 25mph sign. The ticket was written for going 31mph in a school zone on the 200 block of the road, which begins immediately after the 25mph sign. So my question is, do I have a case if I contest the ticket on the basis of poor/confusing/inadequate signage? Or does the presence of the school zone sign make any other mph sign after it irrelevant? Additionally, if I contest it and fail, is it possible for me to still get a deferral since I have not had a traffic violation in the 10 years I have lived in Washington?

On a side note, if the objective of creating a school zone is to encourage people to slow down why would an unmarked police car be "waiting in the bushes" to catch someone speeding? It seems like the presence of a marked police car would be more effective in achieving the ultimate goal.

Once you have established you travel the route daily, you threw out an argument the signage was confusing. Any responsible driver would have assessed and noted the changes over that time. You would, however, be admitting to over 20 other violations.

Give us the exact location. If it doesn't show the current configuration on Google maps, please post pictures of the signing. I like how the Officer wrote you for 31. That's a crappy deal, intended to dissuade you from fighting it. Not to worry. Lots of people are here to pick apart their evidence.

File a discovery request 14 days before your trial; scan and post the results.

When it comes to the deferral thing, you can ask the judge if you can make your motions first, and if doing so will take deferral off the table. I did this very thing on my last ticket. The judge confirmed that it was still on the table, because no testimony had been offered by either side.

By the way, putting a marked police car out there doesn't make them as much money as hiding does! ;)

Here is an image http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/2...olzonearea.jpg

I was pulled over after I passed the entire 200 block of E Cushing. The short stretch after the school zone sign and before the 25mph sign is the 300 block.

I doubt it will mean much when I contest the ticket, but the placement of the school zone sign is flat out bad. When you are turning off of the 101 you are focused on the lane of traffic you are crossing which makes it very easy to miss the school zone sign, so the first traffic sign you see is the 25mph one.

I should point out that when going the eastbound direction the school zone signage is exceptional with ~3 signs that indicate where the school zone is. I think the city just dropped the ball with adequate signage in the westbound direction.

My friend is a lawyer, so I plan on getting his advice too. I just don't like asking these kind of favors from him.

Edit: Additionally, there were absolutely no children present in the area.

Are you talking about the sign at the corner of southwest and cushing on the right?

Sorry to dig this thread back up. I am still waiting on discovery. Unless my lawyer friend suggests I request a dismissal based on the discovery, I plan on using inadequate signing as my defense. Barring dismissal, my hope is that the infraction will be downgraded to a 31mph in a 25mph zone. Anyway, I have a couple questions regarding my inadequate signing defense.

1) If the school zone is marked as indicated in the above image with a different speed zone sign following it, am I obligated by law to go the school zone speed (20mph 7am-4pm) until I see an End School Zone sign or can I increase my speed as soon as I pass the higher speed limit sign (25mph)? I could not find anything in the Revised Code of Washington or the Washington Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices that gives me a concrete answer.

2) In my case, I was traveling NW on Highway 101 before turning onto E Cushing (see above image). It is possible to see the school zone sign traveling in this direction, but very easy to miss because you are focused on on-coming traffic as you are turning. However, if someone is traveling in the SE direction before turning onto E Cushing it is IMPOSSIBLE to see the school zone sign (except its backside). Could I use this to demonstrate that the school zone signing is inadequate? Or would this even matter?

3) Am I wasting my time trying to argue that the signing is inadequate or confusing?

When I try to look at the intersection on Google Maps, I cannot see the school zone sign you're talking about. What kind of sign is it (when children are present, when flashing, from this time to that time, etc.)?

What is the location listed on your ticket for where the violation took place? Was it 101 or E. Cushing?

Barry

It is a brand new school zone (created about 3 weeks before I got my infraction) so it does not show up on Google Maps. I was on E. Cushing, and Google Maps does not show a roadside view of the street. The sign is a 20mph from 7am-4pm and its location is circled on the image I posted. The I also circled the 25mph sign. My infractions was on the 200 block of E Cushing which is after the 25mph sign. I received my discovery request, but my document scanner is broken, so I will scan it at work tomorrow and post it here.

Quote:

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Quoting gravioli

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I will scan it at work tomorrow and post it here.

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Please do....

Here is the case report and SMD certificate from the discovery. I requested a list of witnesses, but they did not provide any list. (Sorry the host Imageshack is rather annoying)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...asereport.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...rtificate.jpg/