Found an issue on this page? Let us know and we will look into it as soon as possible.
Can I have my traffic ticket for illegal left turn dismissed if I explain the situation to the judge?
Anonymous3 views3 answers
This afternoon traffic was unusually backed up on my way to the freeway out of Mill Valley. I received an important call to arrive to the hospital in time to provide comfort to someone who suffered brain hemorrhage. I was in the middle of an intersection: two lanes going left and two straight. I could not go straight because traffic was completely stopped ahead. Left turn lane light was green; there were no cars behind me. I put my left turn signal on and moved to the left slowly, about 2 miles per hour. I then turned left, to take alternative way to the freeway. Just as I turned, the cop appeared behind me and pulled me over. He said left turn was only allowed from the two left lanes. I explained my situation and asked him to give me a break so I could still make it to the hospital (I had 15 minutes left). He insisted on writing me the ticket and took about 10 minutes. I told him the person may die before I get there and he said it wasn't his fault. Heartless. I told him I made sure I was driving safe - he said this has nothing to do with safety. That I turned from the wrong lane. But I did not turn directly from the wring lane, rather I first moved to the left, then turned
Your "explanation" will be taken as an admission and no quarter will be given. If you want to dispute the ticket you should retain a local attorney; preferably one who has a good working relationship with the prosecutor / judge.
Even if true which it sounds like the cop disputes, It is also illegal to lane change in an intersection. It’s also illegal to enter the intersection when there isn’t room for you to go all the way through it.
So, you committed a couple of offenses, and there is no “I really needed to get there” exceptions in the vehicle code. Believe it or not most drivers feel it is important to make it to their destination. The issue with your excuse is also proof. I’m sure the cop and the court hear this stuff every day.
So, unless you show up with the patient and the patient’s medical records corroborating the story, I doubt the judge will give much weight to your story.
In any event, hire a traffic ticket attorney.
If you want to fight the citation issued, you should not attempt to do so by yourself, as you do not have the legal experience or acumen to do so successfully. Even though I am an attorney, I would not try to fight a traffic citation myself since that is a specialized field that requires more knowledge of the traffic laws and traffic courts than I myself possess.
Contact an experienced defense attorney who specializes in traffic citation defense. He or she may not be able to get the charges completely dismissed but may at the very least mitigate any penalties against you and may be able to keep any points off your license.
You can use the “Find a lawyer” link at the top of the screen for the names of attorneys in your area.
Please do not message me for further advice or call my former law firm if you have any further questions. If you are in need of an attorney to assist you, please search for another attorney in the jurisdiction involved in your case, as I am now retired, and my former law firm is no longer handling these types of cases. I am active on and answer questions only as a public service at this point.
IMPORTANT: No attorney-client relationship is formed through interaction with this attorney on this public forum. The contents of any comment or response should be considered general conversational discourse on the topic identified and NOT specific legal advice or analysis that might apply to your situation. If you rely upon any part of the content of this response in making any decision or pursuing any course of action, you do so at your own risk and without recourse against this attorney or law firm.
Good luck!
