The majority of the population drives more cautiously in the vicinity of schools, both because of lower speed limits posted within 500 to 1,000 feet of a school and because most of us are aware that children are less careful, and therefore more vulnerable than adults. Nonetheless, mistakes happen. Normally careful drivers, even those driving their own children to or from school, sometimes turn when they’re not supposed to or fail to stop when a crossing card holds up a paddle.
Crossing guards themselves may not be blameless. Though trained for their positions, they are not usually young and agile. Guards, like civilians, are susceptible to moments of inattention or confusion. After all, shepherding lots of noisy children across a busy intersection is not an easy job. As far as your possible culpability as a driver is concerned — a larger vehicle may have blocked your view of the crossing guard; the guard’s hand signals may not have been clear, the guard may not have been wearing the required vest and in some cases, you may not have known if the guard was signaling you or another driver.
The charge for a violation of Failure to obey a school crossing guard under 2815 CVC is not an offense that is eligible for traffic school to avoid the driver’s point on your license. If convicted of Failure to obey a school crossing guard it will result in one point on your driver’s license.
If you receive a ticket for failing to obey a crossing guard, you may be embarrassed, ashamed, worried about repercussions (especially if you don’t have a clean license) or indignant if you feel you have been targeted unfairly. This is the time to call Cheap Traffic Attorneys. We are lawyers who focus on traffic ticket defense only and we are extremely good at what we do.
What Cheap Traffic Attorneys Can Do To Help
Check out our testimonials and you will see that we have lots and lots of satisfied clients. This is not surprising because our founding attorney, John J. Pearson, spent 21 years as a California police officer before he started this law practice. He has comprehensive knowledge of prosecution tactics which can be put to good use in your defense.
John’s skills are well-honed and he has a track record of dismissed charges and successful plea bargains for traffic infractions and violations. When you call Cheap Traffic Attorneys we will take over the entire legal problem of your ticket, appear in court without you, and bring you the best outcome possible. Not only that, but we are cost-effective as well as efficient. Just think — you won’t have to take time from work to appear in court; instead you will be represented by an experienced professional. What could be better than that?
The Laws That Govern Failure To Obey School Crossing Guards
According to the California Vehicle Code, any non-student school crossing guard who works under the auspices of any city police department, county board of supervisors, or the Department of the California Highway Patrol, is wearing official insignia and is performing her/his duty, must be obeyed. Your legal responsibility as a driver at an intersection protected by a school crossing guard is to:
- Stop and obey all commands given by the crossing guard
- Make eye contact with the crossing guard to ensure you are both on the same page
- Allow enough space in front of your vehicle for the crossing guard and pedestrians to safely maneuver
You are required to keep your car stopped until the guard and any pedestrians have finished crossing the street. If you disobey the directions of the crossing guard who is actively protecting pedestrians you may be ticketed for an infraction and subject to penalties.
Your Best Option Is Contacting Cheap Traffic Attorneys
Others may advise you to simply cut your losses and pay the ticket immediately, but this is a bad idea. Remember, you are innocent until proven guilty and you have the right to present your version of events to the court. In addition, the law states that if you disregard a traffic signal or direction given by a school crossing guard you risk a minimum fine of $284 and having a point added to your license. As we all know, fines can increase rapidly and license points can quickly accumulate so simply capitulating may put you in harm’s way now or in the future.
Your other options are [1] appearing in court on the designated date and pleading guilty or not guilty before a judge or [2] fighting the ticket in person which involves entering a plea, and scheduling a court date for trial at which the crossing guard will also appear or [3] fighting the ticket through a Trial By Written Declaration (TBWD) which you will submit to the court by mail or electronically. If you file a TBW, though, you will have to post bail and will waive your right not to incriminate yourself as well as your right to a public and speedy trial.
Let’s face it, all of these options have sizable downsides. The choice between giving up a portion of your rights or taking time to present yourself in an arena in which you have little skill or credibility seems like no choice at all..
When you call Cheap Traffic Attorneys, we take over all the tasks at hand. In most cases, we can get your charges dismissed. If not, we can almost certainly get your penalties decreased and keep you from getting a point on your license. Just as you hire professionals for other tasks outside of your ken (plumbers, electricians, doctors), you should get an experienced professional when dealing with traffic violations. In Southern California, there is no better firm to contact than Cheap Traffic Attorneys.
CHEAP TRAFFIC ATTORNEYS HANDLES Failure to Obey School Crossing Guard TICKETS AT COURTHOUSES ALL THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES INCLUDING WESTMINSTER COURTHOUSE, NEWPORT BEACH COURTHOUSE, LONG BEACH COURTHOUSE, DOWNEY COURTHOUSE, COMPTON COURTHOUSE, AND METROPOLITAN COURTHOUSE.
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