Welcome to California !

[HALLETT BOY]

Here's the total cost for a simple $100 dollar ticket in wonderful CA :
base fine $100
state penalty assessment $100
state criminal surcharge 20% = $20
court operation assessment $40
court construction $5 for every $10 dollar in fine
county fund $7 for every $10 in fine
DNA fund $5 for every $10 in base fine
EMA trans fee $4 per fine
EMS fund $2 for every $10 in fine
conviction assessment $30 per fine
night court $ 1 per fine
Actual cost of $100 ticket / fine = $490.00
If you don't pay on time =
DMV /warrant $ 10
failing to appear fee $15
civil asessment for failure to appear $300
Total potential cost of minor infraction = $815.00
Welcome to beautiful So. California !
Shit , and I was bitching about a little muffler ticket at Cottonwood !

 

[cicchetti_24]

Here's the total cost for a simple $100 dollar ticket in wonderful CA :
base fine $100
state penalty assessment $100
state criminal surcharge 20% = $20
court operation assessment $40
court construction $5 for every $10 dollar in fine
county fund $7 for every $10 in fine
DNA fund $5 for every $10 in base fine
EMA trans fee $4 per fine
EMS fund $2 for every $10 in fine
conviction assessment $30 per fine
night court $ 1 per fine
Actual cost of $100 ticket / fine = $490.00
If you don't pay on time =
DMV /warrant $ 10
failing to appear fee $15
civil asessment for failure to appear $300
Total potential cost of minor infraction = $815.00
Welcome to beautiful So. California !
Shit , and I was bitching about a little muffler ticket at Cottonwood !

3 Take aways

1. CA is expensive
2. Dont't get a ticket
3. Don't fail to appear

 

[C-2]

Here's the total cost for a simple $100 dollar ticket in wonderful CA :
base fine $100
state penalty assessment $100
state criminal surcharge 20% = $20
court operation assessment $40
court construction $5 for every $10 dollar in fine
county fund $7 for every $10 in fine
DNA fund $5 for every $10 in base fine
EMA trans fee $4 per fine
EMS fund $2 for every $10 in fine
conviction assessment $30 per fine
night court $ 1 per fine
Actual cost of $100 ticket / fine = $490.00
If you don't pay on time =
DMV /warrant $ 10
failing to appear fee $15
civil asessment for failure to appear $300
Total potential cost of minor infraction = $815.00
Welcome to beautiful So. California !
Shit , and I was bitching about a little muffler ticket at Cottonwood !

Can you imagine starting out with a $1K fine :yikes

I think in the old days that's how they did it, large fine, there was no penalty. So that is actually a $200 ticket for all intents and purposes.

What's even scarier is that even with all the fees levied, the court system is still overtaxed; courtrooms still close due to not enough staff and too many cases.

I found this to explain why the increase in penalties:

In California, criminal offenders may have fines included in their penalties, and these may be enhanced by either special assessments or penalty assessments. These penalty assessments are based on the concept of an ?abusers fee,? in which those who break certain laws help finance programs related to decreasing those violations. For example, drug and alcohol offenses and domestic violence offenses are enhanced by special assessments on fines that directly fund county programs designed to prevent the violations. All other criminal offenses and traffic violations are subject to penalty assessments that are used to fund specific state programs.

 

[dezertrider]

Didn't I just see something on the news about California starting to waive the fees for people that couldn't afford them?

 

[Weekend Therapy]

I got a few tickets in North Dakota. They actually write the ticket amount on the ticket and when I saw it ($15) the officer said yes that is the fine we are not a revenue driven state. I started laughing my ass off as the ticket 80mph in a 55 would have been horrendous in California. I almost thought to throw him a $100 and tell him to leave me alone for a month, but figured I might be pushing it

 

[pipemn]

Didn't I just see something on the news about California starting to waive the fees for people that couldn't afford them?

only illegals

 

[Chili Palmer]

Didn't I just see something on the news about California starting to waive the fees for people that couldn't afford them?

only illegals

Damn, they get all the perks!

 

[Advantage 1]

3 Take aways

1. CA is expensive
2. Dont't get a ticket
3. Don't fail to appear

This.

I did get a ticket and I did fail to appear. I simply forgot about the ticket. I only learned / remembered when I phoned the DMV to inquire about my license. It expired on my b-day in April and in June I still never received it. You should have heard the gal on the phone gasp when she pulled up my account... a $318 speeding ticket (going through Glamis to Parker) cost me almost $1,100.

100% my fault. :rolleyes

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Didn't I just see something on the news about California starting to waive the fees for people that couldn't afford them?

It's for the idiots that fail to appear and have the $490 fine jump to $1500 and their license gets suspended, and now can't afford to pay the ticket. Then they get popped again and go to jail.

To they are going to arrange an 18 month amnesty plan so these people can pay a more reasonable fine and get their license back.

I get the idea, but fix the problem instead of rewarding stupidity/law breaking.

The court would give them a payment plan if they had just shown up in the first place.

 

[454Rocket]

It's for the idiots that fail to appear and have the $490 fine jump to $1500 and their license gets suspended, and now can't afford to pay the ticket. Then they get popped again and go to jail.

To they are going to arrange an 18 month amnesty plan so these people can pay a more reasonable fine and get their license back.

I get the idea, but fix the problem instead of rewarding stupidity/law breaking.

The court would give them a payment plan if they had just shown up in the first place.

It's not that cut and dry. I got a ticket and my appearance date was BEFORE I actually received the paperwork from the court with my appearance date. Called the court knowing something was wrong and there was no date since it wasn't in the system. When it got put into the system the requisite time had already passed and I was fucked... "$1200 for a U turn in a business district" for failure to appear to a date I didn't know about. I handled it and got it back to the meager $400 +traffic court but not without 3 trips to the courthouse.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

It's not that cut and dry. I got a ticket and my appearance date was BEFORE I actually received the paperwork from the court with my appearance date. Called the court knowing something was wrong and there was no date since it wasn't in the system. When it got put into the system the requisite time had already passed and I was fucked... "$1200 for a U turn in a business district" for failure to appear to a date I didn't know about. I handled it and got it back to the meager $400 +traffic court but not without 3 trips to the courthouse.

I agree stuff gets lost in the mail sometimes, but all the info you needed to solve that problem was on your ticket. You call the court and say I don't have my paperwork, and they resend it. Aside from that if you call on or before the due date you can push the appear date out 60-90 days depending on the county.

Yes the fines are outrageous, but people need to take responsibility with these kinds of matters.

 

[saucedaddy]

Here's the total cost for a simple $100 dollar ticket in wonderful CA :
base fine $100
state penalty assessment $100
state criminal surcharge 20% = $20
court operation assessment $40
court construction $5 for every $10 dollar in fine
county fund $7 for every $10 in fine
DNA fund $5 for every $10 in base fine
EMA trans fee $4 per fine
EMS fund $2 for every $10 in fine
conviction assessment $30 per fine
night court $ 1 per fine
Actual cost of $100 ticket / fine = $490.00
If you don't pay on time =
DMV /warrant $ 10
failing to appear fee $15
civil asessment for failure to appear $300
Total potential cost of minor infraction = $815.00
Welcome to beautiful So. California !
Shit , and I was bitching about a little muffler ticket at Cottonwood !

Welcome to Arizona!
Here's the simple cost of a non-moving/non-safety "Parking Ticket", in wonderful Arizona.
$275:rolleyes

 

[Tank]

While I believe you screw up and get caught and get a ticket you should own it I do agree the fines in ca are complete BS. Seriously! Who can afford a $800 red light ticket?? That's a lot if money for most folks.

I do recommend pleading with the court (go to court and request it from the judge) to lower the fine to the state mandated amount. Many judges will in fact drop the fine amount.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

While I believe you screw up and get caught and get a ticket you should own it I do agree the fines in ca are complete BS. Seriously! Who can afford a $800 red light ticket?? That's a lot if money for most folks.

I do recommend pleading with the court (go to court and request it from the judge) to lower the fine to the state mandated amount. Many judges will in fact drop the fine amount.

I agree. Some judges will drop the fine, and others will not. Also you should be exercising every right you have when you get a ticket. Contest the ticket by mail first, and if you do not win you have the option of appearing in person for a new trial. You can then ask for traffic school, or plead your case to the judge. I've won about 50% of the cases I have fought by mail, probably due to the cop not filling out the paperwork in time. I ended up going to the judge on one after losing by mail and just took traffic school. Yes I wasted a few hours of my time in the end going to court, but you at least have a chance to get off, and can still take traffic school if you are found guilty, which you typically can't do if you just appear.

 

[C-2]

I don't have a problem with any of it, it seems more logical for the offenders to pay, than a straight increase in gas, road or property taxes.

Of course, my view might change if I get a ticket, lol.

 

[C-2]

You guys are lucky you don't live in Riverside County - where they issue a warrant for failing to appear for jury duty, and for failing to pay for infractions. :swear

Shintoo should start issuing Internet warrants for Infractions with a penalty assessment to pay for _________________ ?

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

You guys are lucky you don't live in Riverside County - where they issue a warrant for failing to appear for jury duty, and for failing to pay for infractions. :swear

Shintoo should start issuing Internet warrants for Infractions with a penalty assessment to pay for _________________ ?

I thought they do that everywhere.

 

[Tank]

You guys are lucky you don't live in Riverside County - where they issue a warrant for failing to appear for jury duty, and for failing to pay for infractions. :swear

Shintoo should start issuing Internet warrants for Infractions with a penalty assessment to pay for _________________ ?

They issue warrants and civil assessments in Ventura county.

 

[H20-ski]

Can you imagine starting out with a $1K fine :yikes

I think in the old days that's how they did it, large fine, there was no penalty. So that is actually a $200 ticket for all intents and purposes.

What's even scarier is that even with all the fees levied, the court system is still overtaxed; courtrooms still close due to not enough staff and too many cases.

I found this to explain why the increase in penalties:

In California, criminal offenders may have fines included in their penalties, and these may be enhanced by either special assessments or penalty assessments. These penalty assessments are based on the concept of an ?abusers fee,? in which those who break certain laws help finance programs related to decreasing those violations. For example, drug and alcohol offenses and domestic violence offenses are enhanced by special assessments on fines that directly fund county programs designed to prevent the violations. All other criminal offenses and traffic violations are subject to penalty assessments that are used to fund specific state programs.

My wife got a citation in our boat last year. The ahole cop wrote her up for three misdemeanors at 1000.00 each.
We got two of them dropped.
The fine ended up being almost $3000.00 bucks for the one after fees and penalties. That was an expensive day boating.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

What was the citation for???

 

[HALLETT BOY]

I wonder how many people that work for the city or county get their tickets dismissed ?

 

[blacksockdown]

This.

I did get a ticket and I did fail to appear. I simply forgot about the ticket. I only learned / remembered when I phoned the DMV to inquire about my license. It expired on my b-day in April and in June I still never received it. You should have heard the gal on the phone gasp when she pulled up my account... a $318 speeding ticket (going through Glamis to Parker) cost me almost $1,100.

100% my fault. :rolleyes

A long time ago.I got a fix it tkt for tinted windows.I let it go.To warrant.
Judge goofed on me pretty good for that.

 

[HitIt]

My wife got a citation in our boat last year. The ahole cop wrote her up for three misdemeanors at 1000.00 each.

What were the citations for? That sounds crazy.