So realistically, you couldn't stop, not because of yellow phase timing, not because the light is on a variable timer and you caught it at the wrong time, but simply because you did not have sufficient braking power!
The video is not a requirement. It is simply icing on the cake. The photos are required by law. Those, I assume are sufficient to identify you as the driver and show your vehicle at the moment the leading edge crossed the limit line, along with a showing that the light was in its red phase.
VC 41101.
(a) Whenever a traffic sign or traffic control device is placed in a position approximately conforming to the requirements of this code, it shall be presumed to have been placed by the official act or direction of lawful authority, unless the contrary is established by competent evidence.
(b) Any sign or traffic control device placed pursuant to this code and purporting to conform to the lawful requirements pertaining to it shall be presumed to comply with the requirements of this code unless the contrary is established by competent evidence.
That basically says the signal (a traffic control device), was placed by the city, is presumed to be in working order, as required by law, unless you, the defendant, can rebut that presumption by indisputable evidence.
Quoting Page 866 of the 2012 CA-MUTCD
So at 40mph, the yellow phase should be set to 3.9 seconds... Now you can contact the city, request the engineering survey for the intersection and double check what the timing is set to! If it is less that 3.9, you may have an argument, if it is at or higher that 3.9 then you're stuck digging for more.
So you're changing your answer then? It had nothing to do with mechanical failure and low, or almost no stopping power... You simply had no time to react?
Why is that?
You haven't really looked into the timing yet, so that is not a sure thing!
Your previous driving record is not even a valid start for a defense. If everyone who starts out with a clean driving record gets to keep their clean driving record by arguing that they have a clean driving record, then ALL of us will ALWAYS have a clean driving record because we all start with a clean driving record!
Don't go there either as this is the response I expect you'd get from the court: "What if that was a child that ran out in the middle of the roadway? Would trying your best be good enough? NO!"
I'm not seeing one at all!
That's the same fine that applies to everyone! I don't know if Riverside offers community service but that is one route you can go, you can make payments, you can request an extension and start saving... You may see a slight reduction at the arraignment but I can't assure you of anything. Alternatively, you can get greedy and hope the officer won't show... At that point ion time you lost out on any possible reduction simply because the judge now has little say so, he must impose the full statutory fine per VC 42001.15 for a conviction (different than that for a guilty plea)!
Nope... Service is presumed complete if notice is mailed to the registered owner's address on record with the DMV at the time the citation is issued!



