Quote Quoting jcmps821
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I don't have a ticket but do notice city police officers writing tickets to violators in different counties ... example city cop (not CHP) writing a citation in 91 Express Lanes in Riverside County or Orange County. What ever happened to jurisdictional limits ?
The answer is lengthy, and can sound convoluted, but can be found in part in Penal Code sections 830.1(a)(1)-(3).

In short, local officers have what are often referred to as "primary" jurisdictions. These are the jurisdictions in which the officer primarily works and for which he can enforce all state and local laws. An officer in CA has jurisdiction throughout the state of CA and can enforce the law for any public offense he observes in the course of his duties or for which he has probable cause to believe has occurred.

Many counties in the state have inter-county MOUs that allow an officer from within that county to enforce the law anywhere within the county and even issue citations to that agency's home court (if in another part of the county). Since courts are county based, an officer in city A will generally have no problem issuing a citation in city B provided they are within the same county. If outside his primary jurisdiction and the county within he works, the officer can still effect a detention or arrest for a public offense but would have to request a local or state (CHP) officer to respond to issue the citation into the local court.

When I worked in San Diego County, I once attended the CA Peace Officer Memorial in Sacramento. On the way home, we pulled over a reckless driver on I-5 south of Sacramento. We called the CHP who issued the citation, though we were the "arresting" officers. So, even hundreds of miles from home, we have jurisdiction over public offenses that occur in our presence.

Finally, it is common practice throughout the state of CA that any new agency head will send out a letter to every other agency in the state granting that agency permission to enforce state laws within its jurisdictional boundaries. This pretty much smooths over any such squabbles in court over jurisdiction or not.

- Carl