Pedestrian Ticketed for Failure to Yield to Traffic While Crossing the Street

[kylepatrickswan]

My question involves traffic court in the State of: California, specifically Los Angeles.

Hello. I'm a college student and have been walking back and forth from my classes for a long while, and this involves crossing some streets in the process. I've never gotten a jaywalking ticket because I'm aware of what jaywalking is in the book, so I always cross the road by the book - in between to intersections, at least one of them not being controlled, by traffic light or by police officer. Today I crossed a street without a crosswalk legally, but in traffic. A police officer stopped me upon reaching the sidewalk and gave me a citation. I'll do my best to describe everything on the ticket.

My information followed by the description of the incident from the officer's point of view.
"21954(A)vc - E/B X-street
Failing to yield r.o.w. to
N/B #1 which had to brake to
avoid t/s"
He's marked this as an infraction
He's marked my speed as "0-5" and the Max speed as "40" after making the error of starting with a "3" and then had crossed it out.
Area of Occ.: Dev
He's marked TE in a box with three boxes reaing "TE" "CI" and "PT"
Underneath these options is "DIV" which he has written "YTD" or "VTD" next to


I'm wondering first if I'm actually in the wrong and should reconsider how I cross roadways, even while I consider to have a better judgement of speed and distance than most. Second, I'd like some help for how to go about this when I appear in court. Thank goodness it's only a bus ride away and won't cost more than $3 to get to lol!

Thank you for any feedback and posts. I hope that any posts on this thread will also help others in the process.

Sincerely,

Kyle Patrick Swan

[That Guy]

I'm aware of what jaywalking is in the book, so I always cross the road by the book

Not this time you didn't.

in between to intersections, at least one of them not being controlled, by traffic light or by police officer.

That might help you avoid a jaywalking ticket but as you quickly learned, it does not mean it was a legally.

Today I crossed a street without a crosswalk legally, but in traffic.

Based on the description from the officer's notes, you did not cross legally!

A pedestrian does not always have the right of way. Only at intersections with or without marked crosswalks and only when a signal ore an officer motions them to cross or in the alternative when there is no vehicular traffic approaching. Do not step off the sidewalk if you see a car coming and it maybe to close to be able to stop. And don'r ever doubt that some crazy fool might take you up on your challenge and not slow down for you, simply because similar to the incident you got cited for, that driver would have driven away with no citation and with it being your fault had you been hit.

I'm wondering first if I'm actually in the wrong and should reconsider how I cross roadways

Yes you are and yes you should be reconsidering...

21954

(a) Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway so near as to constitute an immediate hazard.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not relieve the driver of a vehicle from the duty to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian upon a roadway.
(Amended by Stats. 1971, Ch. 1015.)

Subsection (a) means that in your situation, you must yield to vehicles as in allow them to continue in their lane without interfering with their free passage. In this case, you apparently forced a car to slow down so that it won't hit you. Subsection (b) means a driver should be careful not to run somebody over when they try and challenge a hunk of metal that is likely to squash them like a little bug.

Second, I'd like some help for how to go about this when I appear in court.

You have no defense. You clearly broke the law. So your best option is to appear in court and hope for a fine reduction.

won't cost more than $3 to get to

Bus fare should be the least of your worries here...
How old are you?