This is my copy of the citation, front side on the left, back on the right. The actual process of issuance was very straightforward and businesslike. I was travelling wesbound on Albion, and Officer Jackson pulled out behind me from the northwest corner of the bridge over Canoas Creek on Albion Drive after I passed him. He turned on his lights and sirens briefly, and pulled me over at Albion and Indigo. Keep this in mind, it comes in later on.
Naturally, I did not claim to know how fast I was going when he asked, and he showed me the locked-in RADAR gun speed reading of "47." He took my license and wrote up this citation for the full-bore speed, 22 miles over the posted limit. I knew right then that this would be an expensive one, and on the courtesy notice this was confirmed - a whopping $146.00.
You may note that unlike some other states, there is no indication of the fine amount anywhere on the ticket, only the "appearance date" of June 13 at the bottom of the front of the citation by which you must respond. The normal procedure in California is that the court sends out a "courtesy notice," which in my case arrived on May 10. This indicates the amount of the fine and a revised due date, and if you're like 98% of people, that's the end of it - you write your check and mail it back in the handy reusable envelope.
According to the NMA, of the 2% of people who fight their speeding tickets, nearly 50% win their cases. I liked those odds, and that's what this web page is all about.
I bid the officer a good day, and he went back to his post at the Canoas Creek bridge to wait for another hapless motorist. After jotting down some notes about the traffic conditions and weather in my Palm, I continued on my way, cursing my bad luck for the first two miles of my trip, but at the same time feeling relieved that thanks to my having been a member of the NMA for more than a year, my fine would be paid if I fought the ticket and lost.
Once the courtesy notice arrived, I took the first step in my defense based on the recommendations of the NMA's Legal Defense Kit for California, that is, to file an informal request for discovery.
