[edit] TRAFFIC COURTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

Traffic court is the judicial process that handles road violation and traffic ticket cases. In California, traffic cases are handled by the Superior Court. If a California traffic court finds a person guilty of a charge, points or demerits are issued against the negligent driver. A state database of all drivers is maintained by the California traffic courts for this purpose. The more points a person accumulates, the more the likelihood of his license being suspended upon further offence. California traffic courts will also revoke a person's license if he/she accumulates too many points in the record within a specific period of time.

[edit] AFTER RECEIVING A TICKET

Upon being given a citation by a police officer in California, you typically have two options. You can either decide to plead guilty and pay the requisite fees; or you can plead not guilty and appear in front of a judge in a California traffic court to contest the charges. In the event that you have been issued a ticket for a traffic violation, you may proceed as per California traffic court protocol by entering your plea of guilty or not guilty within a proper time frame. In case you have pleaded not guilty and want to fight the charges leveled against you, you may want to call in a lawyer to help you state your case in a California traffic court. The simplest way to do this is to have a lawyer contact you by requesting assistance on a traffic charge right here on the DMV.com website. It is always advisable to get help from a legal professional and DMV.com will get in touch with qualified lawyers right away.

You also have the option to negotiate with the prosecutor before appearing in front of the judge. In addition, the ‘Trial by Written Declaration' option allows you or your lawyer to present your case without being present in a California traffic court in person. But that's only true for minor offenses or infractions. In cases of serious violations, such as injuries caused by your vehicle to another person or a driving under the influence (DUI) charge, it is usually mandatory for you to appear in a California traffic court. Once a ticket is issued, the plea of guilty or not guilty has to be made within a certain specific time frame. A courtesy notice is usually sent as a reminder.

[edit] AFTER PAYING THE TRAFFIC FINE

If you decide to plead guilty to the charges and pay the fine decided by the California traffic court, you will also have to deal with the points issued against your name. Since the points records are rigorously maintained, there is no way to gloss over the facts.

Attending traffic school classes is, however, one sure-shot way to reduce the number of points accumulated in your record. It also offers many other benefits - Taking a traffic school course makes you eligible for lower insurance premium rates. Auto insurance rates in California are already one of the highest in the country, and points in your records can only make the situation worse. Taking traffic lessons can also help reinstate your license in case it has been suspended. The biggest advantage of defensive driving lessons, however, is that it will help you become a better driver, thus reducing your risk of earning tickets in the future. California driving schools (also called traffic schools) are located all across the state. DMV.com has a list of these schools and you can use the search tool to find a driving school in your vicinity.