Fighting a stop sign violation in CA?

I was driving in a 6-lane road that had almost no traffic. There were “Stop Ahead” signs on all six lanes. But on one lane, it was written “APPT ONLY.” I thought this means that the stop sign would apply only to that one lane and did not expect to see stop signs at the intersection for other lanes. But there were stop signs on all lanes at the intersection, and I was given a ticket for stopping too late (I failed to stop at the sign’s line). I didn’t know what “APPT ONLY” truly meant, and this was the first time I saw it in my life. Do you think this case is worth going to the court?
And also, does anyone know how much the infraction ticket for stop sign violation costs in California? I have no other offenses in my record, if it matters.

roderunner55

as with any traffic ticket plead not guilty. when you show up in court they will offer you a lesser charge for a guilty plea. usually one with no points and a lesser fine. a stop sign violation is a moving violation that your insurance company will charge you for 3 years. if your stop sign ticket is $100 fine and 3 points both on your drivers license and insurance, they will offer failure to yield no points 50 fine and you will have to pay court cost either way because that's what tickets are really about.

trooper3316

Traffic laws are "strict liability", meaning knowledge of the violation does not have to be established. You are required to know the rules.

If the judge does give you any consideration, it will be a matter of his discretion, not a matter of law.

mikeysco

In California, huh?

I'm almost 50 and I've been a cop for 21 years and have never seen the lane markings you're talking about. I have no idea what it would mean.

It can't hurt to take it to court. Nothing worse can happen to you just because you choose to contest the citation - if you lose, it's no worse than if you just plead guilty. It's difficult to get a clear picture of the situation you're describing here but depending on the lane markings, Trooper may be right...a judge might be willing to give you a break if they feel the markings were confusing.

The fine for a violation of 22450 VC will be $146 plus another $55....or very close to that, depending on what county you're in.

Old Spice

You will lose that one.
No matter what previous signs indicated, you should have been able to stop when you did see the stop sign. If you didn't see it in time to stop, one of two things occurred: your eyesight has deteriorated or you were driving too fast. Both are considered your responsibility.

If the cost is not printed on the ticket/summons, try finding it on the state web site.

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