Traffic ticket

[Irvine resident]

My wife received a traffic ticket 12 months ago.  She attended traffic school and the incident did not impact our insurance rates.  She recently received another traffic ticket.  Since this was a second offense within 18 months, she was not given an option to attend traffic school.  We are afraid this may affect our insurance rates.  Two questions.  One, is there anything that she could do i.e. appeal to court to attend traffic school again, etc?  Two, would attending traffic school again lower our insurance rates than what it would be otherwise?  Other than the 2 incidents in these past 13 months, she has a clean record for the past 8 years.  Both tickets were non-speeding tickets.  Thanks.

 

[usctrojancpa]

My wife received a traffic ticket 12 months ago.  She attended traffic school and the incident did not impact our insurance rates.  She recently received another traffic ticket.  Since this was a second offense within 18 months, she was not given an option to attend traffic school.  We are afraid this may affect our insurance rates.  Two questions.  One, is there anything that she could do i.e. appeal to court to attend traffic school again, etc?  Two, would attending traffic school again lower our insurance rates than what it would be otherwise?  Other than the 2 incidents in these past 13 months, she has a clean record for the past 8 years.  Both tickets were non-speeding tickets.  Thanks.

Honestly, she should try roll the dice and fight the ticket.  There's a small chance that the cop won't show up to court and the ticket will be dismissed.  Or you can do a trail by declaration after extending the date as long as you can. 

 

[qwerty]

she should request a court date to fight the ticket, if the cop doesnt show up then you are set, if the cop does show up, dont contest the ticket itself (you wont win) but ask the judge to let you go to traffic school. this is the strategy my friend at work employs. he gets a lot of tickets but has been successful with the judge letting him go to traffic school.  i always thought the two tickets in 18 months was a CA law thing that could not be circumvented by a judge but that does not appear to be the case.

 

[irvinerealtor]

I agree with qwerty's info above. I had to go to court to fight (and win) a contested toll road violation.  I had to prove that I did have a transponder, that it was paid for and current, and that I did get billed for the road usage on my bill.  Apparently mine did not trigger a trip-point.

While I was waiting for my turn, the judge granted several people's request to attend traffic school even though they had previous tickets within that 18-month window. 

Good luck,
-IR2