Speeding Tickets

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Options to challenge

  1. Trial by mail - All the counties in CA allows for trial by mail for speeding tickets. The advantage here is it requires the police officer to also file the paperwork, and chances are, s/he won't put in the time to do that. If he doesn't file the proper paperwork, you win!
  2. Get a lawyer - there are lawyers whose specialty is to fight speeding tickets. Lawyer fees vary, so do a bit of research online and on the phone before committing to one.
  3. Show up in court and ask for leniency - you will never get what you don't ask for! Also, ALWAYS ask to go to traffic school. Despite the time restriction, if a judge says you can go to traffic school, you CAN go to traffic school regardless of how many times you have been in the last 18 months. Traffic school will allow you to avoid the point penalty (but you still have to pay the fine).
  4. Challenge the legitimacy of the radar gun - When was the last time the gun was calibrated? What is the "health" of the gun?
  5. Pay more than your ticket amount - Rumor has it that if you pay more than your ticket amount, they will have to refund you for the extra amount you pay. As long as you don't cash the check, the process is not complete because the account is not "settled". Consequently, the points won't be reported to your insurance. Somebody actually did this, and while he didn't get his money refunded, it does appear the DMV and his insurance has no record of this ticket.

Online Traffic School

It appears that you have two options: take online traffic school approved by Santa Clara County or out-of-county traffic school.

http://www.scselfservice.org/traffic/oview/schooltxt.htm

Probably best to check with the courts to be 100% sure which are approved.

I recently used Happy Traffic School (which is approved by San Mateo County) for only $14.95 and received the certificate in the mail within 2 days: http://secure.happytrafficschool.com/homepage.php

How to take exam online

The old requirements (from a few months ago) in Santa Clara (see below) are still in force (http://www.sccsuperiorcourt.org/traffic/), but other jurisdictions may have more lenient policies, so I guess it's best to check first. One person wrote: "Actually you can take your final examination online… I did it and it’s great. Check this site out: http://www.trafficschoolonline.com. It took me four hours to take the exam at home but I took several breaks in between and watched TV!"

  1. In order to be admitted to the test site, student must bring the following:
    1. Agreement to Attend Driver Improvement School or Traffic/Docket Order (issued by the Court)
    2. Photo Identification (Driver's license, passport, work I.D., student or military I.D.)
    3. Confirmation of Proctored Exam Date - You will need to print this page from our website after you schedule your exam on our system.
  2. Be on time for the test: Students will not be admitted after testing begins.
  3. Conversation, use of extra printed material, or cheating during the test is prohibited.

Proctored Final Exam

To obtain a certificate of completion and keep your citation off your driving record, students must register for an in-person proctored final examination after successfully completing the online course. All exam sessions are held in Santa Clara County ONLY. If you are unable to attend a proctored exam in Santa Clara County you are not eligible for the OnlineTrafficSafety course. Exams are offered during day and evening hours, and are offered most days of the week, EXCLUDING all legal holidays. OnlineTrafficSafety.com staff will attempt to schedule exams at locations, times, and dates that are convenient for you, however they are subject to change. Exams are scheduled on a first come, first served basis, and do fill quickly. We suggest that you complete your course 30 days before your completion date. All exams must be completed 10 days prior to the completion date the court has issued.

The proctored final exam is expected to last a half hour. The final includes 50 questions covering all objectives of the course. You must score 80% or higher to successfully pass the exam and course. If you do not pass, you will be given the opportunity to re-take the online course, with a $25 re-registration fee assessed. You will be given three opportunities to pass the proctored exam, after which you will be required to register for an instructor-led class.

Upon passing your proctored exam, you will be issued a Certificate of Completion, and the school will notify the court of completion if the traffic violation occurred in Santa Clara County. If the violation occurred in another county, you are responsible for notifying the appropriate court of your completion of the course through OnlineTrafficSafety.com.

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