My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
I've been cited under code 22107(d) vc at the corner of Berkeley and Glendale boulevard in Echo Park. A map of the intersection is below. Left turns are apparently prohibited after 4 PM from Berkeley onto Glendale boulevard.
The note on the ticket appears to say (his handwriting is horrendous) "22107(c)vc OBsrvd dB Neg LT against (3) posed vigns" [sic]. Speed approach 15 max speed 35. All other information seems accurate and complete (if I ignore the ambiguities caused by his handwriting)
As I approached the intersection at a safe rate of speed, the light turned green, and I signaled my left turn and followed the car in front of me who was turning left as well. An officer was watching and pulled over the car in front of me and signaled that I should follow.
My car's clock read 3:59. It may run slow, because the officer wrote 4:06 on my ticket. He was talking to the car in front of me for at least 2-3 minutes before he approached my vehicle. I noticed that he did not appear to note the license plate number of the car in front of me, nor did he appear to ask them to sign the ticket, so I suspect that he may have let them off. I was cited, and he seemed to spend significantly less time making conversation with me, and more time taking notes on the make/model/license plate of my car. The officer asked whether I saw the three posted signs but made no mention of the time limit. I told him that I was unfamiliar with the area and the signs (I was visiting a home-bound client for the first time who lives further up Berkeley, and was just trying to make my way home).
This was my first time through the intersection, and I didn't see a sign noting the prohibited times until I was half-way through the intersection in the middle of my turn. My car's clock, and the actions of the car in front of me led me to believe it was safe to make the turn to begin with. The officer said there were three signs, but I only noticed one. The car in front of me was honked at by another vehicle from opposing traffic during the turn, so I was occupied with assessing that situation and reacting appropriately to give them room. Also, the intersection itself is confusing (see map above); it was my first time through and I was occupied with assessing the angles involved, and how I needed to maneuver it to make it onto Glendale.
Do I have an argument here?
Also, I've never been cited for a moving violation before, in 20+ years of driving - the ticket says I must appear "on or before 8/26/13" - will they send me a more specific day/time for this? If I don't have an argument, can I just attend traffic school? How does that work?
Thank you in advance.


