Over 90 percent of residents in California and the rest of the nation who are older than 16 years old have a license to drive. It is not unusual for them to have multiple vehicles registered in their names.
Drivers who violate traffic laws may be subject to certain penalties. These violations may include running through a red light, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, driving recklessly and others. Local law enforcement officers are the individuals who typically issue traffic violations, which are processed in state court.
Most traffic tickets are issued for strict-liability offenses, or offenses in which criminal intent is not needed to have an individual convicted of the offense. For these offenses, it is only necessary to prove that the illegal act was committed by the individual. Traffic offenses that fall under strict-liability include the failure to yield, driving a vehicle with headlights that are not working, speeding, having overdue parking meters and parking in handicap spots without the necessary sticker.
Drivers may be accused of moving violations if they violate a traffic law while their vehicle is in motion. Typical moving violations include driving while drunk, speeding and running past a red light or stop sign. Non-moving violations are those that pertain to faulty equipment or parking. Some non-moving violations may include parking in prohibited spaces, having excessive muffler noise, blocking a fire hydrant or parking in front of a meter that has expired.
A criminal defense attorney may work to reduce the penalties for clients who have been accused of misdemeanors, such as certain traffic violations. The attorney may assess the factors of a case and help their client through litigation to have misdemeanor charges reduced or dropped.
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