My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
First post here so go easy on me. I've read through the forum and haven't found the answers to my questions. First ticket in over ten years and not justified IMHO.
BASICS:
I was cited March 4 for 38 in a 25MPH zone, laser was used. 4-lane divided road so not a local road. I have not yet appeared or posted bail.
SPEED TRAP LAW:
I'm trying to make sense of CVC40802 as shown on the CA website here:http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...le=40800-40808
I'm generally pretty good at diagramming outlines but I can't seem to see how to properly indent this and determine what is a subsection of what. There is one section mentioning a 5-year traffic survey and another 7-years. Which is it?
Regardless of whether this is a speed trap by legal definition, it certainly is one by functional definition as 25 is way too low and anyone doing 25 is likely to get run over.
DISCOVERY:
I would certainly like to see the traffic engineering survey both to verify its timeliness and also for the justification of the 25MPH speed. Where do I go to get this? The road is within the city limits of Goleta, CA. Law enforcement is actually Santa Barbara county sheriff, but the city apparently contracts out to them. Some patrol cars have City of Goleta Police, others SB Sheriff. Uniforms are SB Sheriff.
Similarly, where do I ask for the officer's proof of required training and laser calibration? The serial number of the laser unit isn't on the citation not did I examine it at the time.
TRIAL BY WRITTEN DECLARATION:
I see that this is recommended by several in the forum. I question why, as it seems to pretty much be a rubber-stamp guilty. Also by going for a TBD, being found guilty, asking for trial de novo do I forfeit the 45-day right to speedy trial? Is it possible to get the speed trap documents (traffic survey, training, laser calibration) by discovery for trial by declaration?

