Right Turn on Red Light, CVC 21453(A)

wow... so its really that bad..? i remember when i first did my first undergrad i did a burn out in a empty parking lot.... long story short i was 18 and there was a cop hiding behind a bush... i was going to pay full amount but after research it was a 2 pt ticket and misdemeanor so i contest the ticket and won ;) .....comparing that incident to this one..... the camera seems harder to get out of?

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Quoting RnStudent909

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wow... so its really that bad..? i remember when i first did my first undergrad i did a burn out in a empty parking lot.... long story short i was 18 and there was a cop hiding behind a bush... i was going to pay full amount but after research it was a 2 pt ticket and misdemeanor so i contest the ticket and won ;)

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Ahhhh, young jedi...I think I understand the source of your misunderstandings! :)

See, the red light stuff is an infraction, the least serious kind of crime there is (in CA). The next step on the seriousness ladder is a misdeameanor, followed by a felony. Infractions can only be punished by a fine, no possibility of jail time. Not so for misdemeanors. Hence, for a misdemeanor, you have two things that don't happen in infractions:

1. An attorney from the DA's office has to prosecute the offense, show up in court, etc.
2. You have the RIGHT to a jury trial.

Because of both of the time and effort both of these may take, more so #2 than #1, DA's often don't bother with prosecuting pure "driving" misdemeanors like reckless and will either cut a plea deal or may even drop the case, depending on their workload. (The most common exception to this rule, for misdemeanors, is of course...DUIs). Put simply, you just weren't worth the money (and/or the time) then.

This is different...the DA's office typically doesn't even know about infractions, much less bother with them. The court handles everything, no need for any prosecutor, and no right to a jury trial. Hence, no incentive to cut a plea deal, much less drop the case. If you call or visit most DA's offices and ask to speak to a DDA about an infraction, they'll just laugh (hopefully to themselves) and tell you to go talk to the court clerks or judge.

So, to cut my long story short, you CAN try to beat red light tickets after coming up with a defense. See this thread for an example. If you're VERY lucky, the officer may even not show up in court. But "fighting" it by just hoping the other side will fold and offer you a plea or dismiss...is not going to happen in this case.

wow... im pretty much screwed... whats your advice? the amount i got to pay is 530! cant believe its sooo expensive, is there any way this can be reduced? thanks guys i really appreciate the advice

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Quoting RnStudent909

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wow... im pretty much screwed... whats your advice? the amount i got to pay is 530! cant believe its sooo expensive, is there any way this can be reduced? thanks guys i really appreciate the advice

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Doubt there's an easy way to reduce this. You can try going to one or two arraignment (appearance) sessions BEFORE your appearance date, at the same time, to see if the judge/commissioner you get reduces any tickets, especially red-light ones.

Otherwise, it's a simple equation: if your time is worth much more than $600 (traffic school fee), fight it. If not, pay up and be done with it.