I haven't had a traffic ticket in a decade. It was bogus but I was presumed guilty without a chance of proving innocence. A traffic citation generally makes you guilty. Traffic court is the most lopsided court proceeding there is. "A major increase in traffic tickets" leds me to believe the court system needs to genereate money.

They have no intention of fixing this mess. Traffic court is all about collecting money, nothing less.  And the more inconvienent they make it the more people will just pay up to avoid the hassle.   This doesn't mean that the tickets aren't rightious. Look around, the average driver is a moron with a drivers license. Any cop that would want to could write tickets all day non stop. For the most part they ignore the petty stuff and just go after the worst offenders. 

The absolutely worst part of traffic court is having to sit through a 20 minute movie about traffic court not only in English but also in Spanish.....................Bull Sh-t

In the list of banned items is listed p35 can opener. What the heck is a p35 can opener? I've heard of & often use a p38 can opener on camping trips but never even heard of a p35. Seems the court system & the PD are trying to make a killing off of tickets, what happens if you stand in line & don't get in for 3 or 4 days? Are they going to issue you a bench warrant for failure to appear? 

I agree with Charlie! Drivers in this town are awful. Speeding, tailgating, failure to yeld, (I am late, I paid more for my car than you) Defensive driving is a must!

Ignoring the question of whether a traffic ticket is deserved or not, the money mill that is traffic court will not change. As one noted above, the harder it is to get an actual court hearing the more likely people will simply pay the fine and forget about it.

Consider, however, that you are compelled to go to court (you do have the option of simply acknowedging guilt and paying the fine as I just said) however, in order to exercise your right of innocent until proven guilty you are compelled to go to court. So, the next time rather than subjecting oneself to the unwarranted search (and possible seizure of certain items) simply tell the deputy at the doorway that (1) I am compelled to be here; (2) I will not waive my Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searchs and seizures, therefore (3) inform the judge that I am here and ready to proceed. You can either let me in without this unlawful search or the judge can come out here and conduct the hearing.

One would think that the courthouse is one place where the Constitution (both state nd federal) would be upheld. Jurors are in the same boat - compelled to be there, so the same applies to them.

Note that this is not appropriate at places like an airport. You are voluntarily flying (at least in the legal sense) so you must comply with the airport/TSA rules.

Defendtheconstitution

jm: Anyone who doesn't know what a p38 can opener is has led a sheltered life. Why anyone would want to take one to court is a mystery. On a keychain, maybe?

My first ever citation was a parking ticket. I had to put a dollar in an envelope and drop it in the mail. Minor traffic violations are not that cheap anymore. With the increased insurance premiums, then some guy (or gal) who's just lost his job or is trying to make ends meet with the outrageous fuel and food prices is being put into a financial bind. What is the going rate for a bogus "rolling stop" or driving over the speed limit these days? In this depressed economy, is it money alot of people don't have?

ugh! Ok so I'm a "recovering road rager", and I've gotten many tickets over the years (i'm stubborn) and my last one I got a ticket for failing to come to a "complete" stop at a stop sign. Grr. The ticket is $200!! I couldn't believe it!! I was going to go to court one day.. I'm glad I didn't.. wow. I had no idea. Looks like that 30 day extension is really going to be put to use. haha.

I'm suprised there isn't more "line" rage going on.     I'm afraid I'd commit a moving violation on the head of the guy that removed me from my place in line because of the $120 bottle of "Beautiful' I was carrying in my purse.

Traffic court is a joke.  And yes, they DO issue bench warrants for not appearing at court--even traffic court.  If you think it's bad having to go back a second day, try being from Los Angeles or San Francisco and getting a speeding ticket on I-5 or something and driving all the way down to Bakersfield only to be turned away.  The easiest thing by far is to just pay your ticket through the mail and be done with it.  I've known several people who thought that if they showed up to the court about their ticket, and the officer who wrote the ticket didn't show up (presumably because the officer is busy working, I guess) then the judge would throw out the ticket.  That's not how it works, either.  It's not small claims court.

As for not being able to bring potential weapons to court because you're being COMPELLED to go to court (as opposed to flying through an airport, which is your choice,) I think that's a little ridiculous.  As far back as I remember (long before the airports became security-minded) you couldn't bring potential weapons to court.  It's not an infringement on anyone's rights if the court tells you that you can't carry mace, wear flip-flops or tank tops, yell and scream in the courtroom or bring food or drink inside.  This all falls under public safety and the greater good (the same sort of law that dictates that you can't yell "fire" in a public building if there is no fire.)  You also can't park in front of fire hydrants, be in a public park after 10:00 PM, sell your homemade burritos out of a cart in the Wal-Mart parking lot without a permit, etc.  That's the breaks, Dude.

Personally, if every Tom, Dick or Harry was allowed into court with any and all weapons he deemed necessary, I would never set foot in court again.  I'm GLAD there's security at the courts.

The conduct of the court is outrageous!  They feel you are there to serve them!  The administrator should be fired!  There is an easy fix but I guarantee it will not be implemented.  Simply open up at 6:00AM and stay open until 8:00PM and be open all day Saturday TO SERVE THE PUBLIC!!!!!!!.  NO!  public servants do not like to work and would hate to have to make a living like the rest of us!  WE THE PEOPLE SHOULD DEMAND BETTER SERVICE TODAY from these impotent faceless bureaucrats and the Sheriff should be ashamed of himself for being a party to this fiasco!

LEXREXTHANK YOU!  YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, Ramping up enforcement. like nailing a driver for failure to signal a turn when no one was coming and driving by, ignoring boys riding bicycles on sidewalk and not wearing helmets.  Meanwhile there is an increase in violence; assaults, drive-bys, home invasions, robberies, burglaries, and gangs taking over neighborhoods.  I admit there a alot of dummies on the roads ever since they took driver's ed out of the high schools, and give out driver's licenses like candy.  If people would drive defensively, there would be less accidents, but I'm afraid it's a "I'm right, therefore I rule" attitude out there. 

Not only is traffic court a chaotic jungle but if you stand half a chance in court alone in Kern County under the Jagel watch you better be WHITE!!!!!

AUDREY:  do what I do; I leave my purse in the trunk of the car and only take my drivers license, my car keys and a book.  I do this when hubby and I go out to dinner also (just not the book!) then I don't have to worry about somebody trying to ripe me off.

I've never had to stand in one of those lines, and I would be the one who would just pay the ticket and be done with it - in fact I did just that when I got a ticket because some cop decided I "wasn't wearing my seat belt" even though I had the lap strap done up and the shoulder part under my arm as it hit me in the neck/face because I'm so short. Even another cop friend of mine said the issuing cop was wrong and should have written a warning.  All that said, I just paid the damned thing ($140.00) and part of the cost was because I paid it ON LINE!!!!!!

Why not try something completely novel?  Something so far out that you don't even consider it.  Like....obeying the law.  WOW...what a concept.

I haven't had a traffic ticket in over 30 years and have never been to traffic court or paid a speeding ticket.  I've had a couple of fixit tickets, fixed 'em, got 'em signed off and was done with it.

Not to say I haven't deserved one but I've either been lucky or wasn't so far off the mark that I had to be pulled over.  All those people standing in line should try it sometime.  It's amazing.

It's not always a matter of obeying the law.  Sometimes people break the law from being distracted,  tiredness or unfamiliarity with the road.  

They didn't intend  to speed, do a rolling stop, have a broken taillight, flip off  the BPO or spit on the CHP officer.   They did it because they had a bad day.  Give them a break already.   Standing in the traffic court line is PUNISHMENT ENOUGH.

Oh come ON, probably 95% of those people KNEW they were speeding, knew they were running red lights.    When I'm doing 50 in a 35 I KNOW it.   I don't just accidently roll through a stop sign either.  

I go through Hart Park on my way to grandsons house and yesterday a driver passed the car in front of him on a double yellow in a 25 mph zone.  I guess he just got distracted.  A week or so ago someone passed me on a double yellow line on a hill.  I guess they weren't familiar with the road.

By the way, neither of those drivers got caught.  If all the people who regularly break traffic laws because they didn't like them or chose to ignore them, you couldn't get near the courthouse for the line.  If someone breaks the law and T-bones you or hits you head on I'd like to hear you (or anyone) say "awww, give 'em a break, they were only............(insert your excuse here.)"

They don't pass traffic laws to make money, they pass them for public safety.

jpatto, your comment sounds ignorant. Commissioner Vega, a Hispanic, sat on the traffic court bench for many recent years. There is no D.A. who handles traffic cases, except in rare very cases, so that takes Mr. Jagels out of the equation. So what does his office have to do with a persons race in traffic court?

And here's a tip for all you women drivers. Always wear a button up blouse when you drive. If you get stopped, slyly reach up and unbutton the top 3-4 buttons before the officer approaches, and then smile and be VERY pleasant. That little trick works on about 50% of male officers and about 75% of female CHP officers.

Thanks for the tip OB!!  I've tried this a couple times and it does work  LOL 

It doesn't matter what uniform or job they have, men are men!

So are you saying the men are SOL? 

most of those people you saw ms shepard, are people who have broken the law.

are you attempting to stir the pot, and get even more taxpayer money thrown their way as to help them and their plight?   remember, they made a choice, whether it be drving without a license, dui, speeding, parking...whatever, it was THEIR choice

i dont feel sorry for them one bit.

I bet some of those people are the same people who spent all night out in front of the AT and T store to get the new I phone...  i bet they didnt complain about that, did they?

I wonder.  I keep hearing from people who have to do "programs" that it's all about the money.  What I find funny is that it's ONLY the ones who break the law and have to pay fines or program fees who are sayng "it's all about the money."  Like the laws were all dreamed up to capture you and take your money.  No other reason.  Cripes.

The absolutely worst part of traffic court is having to sit through a 20 minute movie about traffic court not only in English but also in Spanish.....................Bull Sh-t

does the court still award them for not speaking english by letting them go first in court

Yes, they still get to go first!!

after reading all the above posts..i am appauled at the people who are attempting to give excuses for these people who break the law

oh they were tired...oh they didnt know they were speeding...oh the police are after non-whites

clue up people, when you are the victim of an auto accident, are you gonna pay to fix your own vehicle because the guilty driver was tired, not aware of what they were doing, or a person of color???

what happened to holding people accountable for their actions???

i wonder what would happen if i stepped up there, and just started using random items off the taco bell menu as words for communication?   would i get to go first as well??

Sorry OB. your wrong again, my comment is not of ignorance at all. Whether it be traffic court or regular court, under Jagels watch my son is mixed race you see he is half black. Itis so totally outragous if he goes to court with his hair grown out looking black his skin lightly olive toned (he claims his black race on paper) he generally gets the book thrown at him, on the other hand if he cuts his hair down very close many people cannot tell what race he is and they think he is latino, things have gone on the lighter side for him. Although he has not really been in much trouble his cases have been indeed had a racist tone to them.....I for one hate to say it but had a white boy from Stockdale been in the situation he was in his cases would have been dismissed.

I got pulled over by a cop outside of Williams, AZ a week ago on my move to Baton Rouge, LA. I asked (axed?) him what I had done to be pulled over and he said that I turned on my blinker to change lanes (twice) but I didn't drive 100 ft before changing lanes. When I was fishing for my Driver's license he saw my military ID and let me go. Then as he was leaving he said, "I'm Officer X with the Drug Trafficking Task Force Initiative, you don't have any drug on ya, do you?".

 Setting in on court one day, I saw where those that took the time to attend Court, their fines were cut in half as to just paying the fine to avoid going to Court and having to pay the full sum.

I've never had a ticket.

Murphy-That seems to be true, at least with me. The times I've appeared in traffic court, the fine was reduced.

I've had four speeding tickets in my driving career (two on the same road; you'd think I would've learned with the first). All were reduced just for showing up.

HAHAHAHA! Reyna, me too. I got 2 driving down Union Ave. right before you get to Brundage Ln.  Crazy thing is with that, they were both over the Memorial Day weekend (2 seperate yrs) headed to work. I refuse to drive on Union Ave. during that holiday.  Lucky for me, I don't work in the area anymore.

Welcome to the police state. I hope you guys enjoy being enslaved sheep.

Gee.  Thanks, Maggiepoo.