My question involves criminal law for the state of: California. San Diego.
I received a citation for Misuse of Fare/Fare Evasion. I was using a Youth pass instead of an adult pass. The inspector asked me how old I was, I got scared and I told him 18 instead of 21. I am a college student and I have no money to pay for my pass, so my parents are the one who get my transportation passes. I called the store who sells them and asked what type of pass a student should get, and they said to buy a Youth pass. After this situation happened, we went to the store who sells the passes, and they said that the employee who told us to get a youth pass was supposed to ask how old I was, since the term "student" can be applied to adults in college.
Also, I do not know if this would be relevant, but the transportation cop asked me a question that I feel was irrelevant to the situation and made me feel uncomfortable. He switched to Spanish and asked me if I was single or married. I am sure that this information is not needed for a ticket. Then he asked me again the same question. He made me feel very uncomfortable.
- Would it even be worth it to go to court and try to get the ticket fee lowered, given that we were misinformed and the pass had money on it? Or is there no chance, and I should just pay the fine?
- Would the information about the cop asking me that question be relevant to present to the judge? He did make me feel very uncomfortable, and I feel they should not be asking such questions while on the job.
- Also, does anyone know what to expect at the court date? Should I plead guilty or not guilty. This is my first ticket ever and I'm very anxious about all of this.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also I found this on the website of the company who runs the trolley: http://www.sdmts.com/MTS/documents/OrdinanceNo.2.pdf
It says:Does this mean the ticket will be less than $75?Section 2.6: Penalties
Any violation of Section 2.3 of this Ordinance shall be an infraction punishable by a fine not
exceeding seventy-five dollars ($75), except that such a violation by a person, after the second
conviction under the Ordinance, shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding five
hundred dollars ($500) or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and
imprisonment. For purposes of this section, a bail forfeiture shall be deemed to be a conviction of the
offense charged.

