My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: California
This is really disturbing. My husband was cited with a red light camera, paid the ticket, offered his explanation and it was later dismissed. He actually received a full refund.
However, a few weeks later, my son, who does not hold a driver license and does not know how to drive, received the same ticket only now the incident bares his name as the driver. Same incident, same date/time stamp, same file photo. (The photo looks like it could be either one of them.) The new ticket number for my son is the same, although the lettered prefix is one letter off.
I wrote a concise letter to the court on his behalf and expected the issue to be corrected. Wrong. My son received a letter stating they were adding a $300 fee to the unpaid $446 citation. He would have to pay, or get arrested.
My husband and son drove down to the courthouse with all the paperwork and figured it would get resolved. However, three sheriffs behind one-way glass cited their belief that my son was the driver. They acknowledged my husband's resolved ticket and said my son's ticket (same time stamp, etc) was an entirely different issue.
A court date is set.
This is rather terrifying.
1) How can two people commit the same violation on the same date, same time, and use the same car? Parallel universes?
2) How can a paid/resolved ticket be resurrected and assigned to another person? Did they change their minds about my husband's refund and decided the only way to collect was to get the money through the process of falsely accusing another?
While I cannot imagine the Judge not dismissing this case, I must now face reality: We live in Bizzarro World.
Following that perspective, I cannot help but wonder; if the Judge does not dismiss this, could the court create additional speculative/imaginary violations on the spot?
The violation occurred about 70 miles from home in an area where my husband worked. It was during his lunch hour.
My son has no license, cannot drive, and gets around only locally on his bike to get to work and school.
Should we go to the court with our paperwork with the belief the Judge will correct this potentially life-changing nightmare?
Or, should we get an attorney right now as it is pretty clear no one cares anymore about details or people's lives.
Thank you for any advice you can provide.

