By Scott Herder
For the Daily Titan

Your heart drops. You look in your rearview mirror to make sure this is really happening. The red and blue lights are signaling you to pull over.

College students at Cal State Fullerton have to worry about studying for midterms and finals on top of finding parking and getting to class on time for the big test.

But there are no classes that teach students how to fight a traffic ticket; that’s just experience.
“It was extremely nerve-wracking,” said 24-year-old bartender Austin Horick. “I think that knowing what to see and expect would help me in the future.”

The beeping of the metal detectors, the officers who appear to be everywhere and the sharp-dressed lawyers busily hustling through the halls set the stage.

Finally, the courtroom – where everyone is separated by officers and lawyers from defendants. People’s names are called one by one to present cases.

“It will shake your nerves, but (the) present actions you’ve been taking since the incident occurred … may help you get out of your ticket,” said former Huntington Beach Sheriff Steve Ekstedt.

The most important thing that the judge wants to see is that an effort is being made for a defendant to improve. The judge is a person as well and shows more compassion than the police officer, Ekstedt said.

“The officer spoke first, and he was so factual. I definitely was intimidated by the process,” Horick said. “I didn’t know what to do or expect.”

Horick was pulled over for having a friend climb out of the vehicle while he was driving.

“I was (parking) … at IHOP when I got pulled over. When I realized that my friend was on the roof, we got pulled over, and we both got tickets,” Horick said. “Mine was for letting someone ride in an improper seat.”

The courtroom will deal with many different types of cases. Most are traffic violations and possession of drug citations but also driving with a suspended license or without one at all.

“In most cases, you may not always get completely off the hook, but most often the citation will be reduced to the lowest possible punishment. So if you have the time, it doesn’t hurt,” Ekstedt said.
First time offenders get more slack. It also depends on the severity of the citation or penalty.

Horick found himself not so lucky.

“I fought the law, and the law won,” Horick said.

Others had a different experience at the courthouse.

“The first and only time I went to court was for a drug possession,” said 22-year-old Golden West College student Ross Sciarrillo. “The judge gave everyone with my same offense an option of paying a fine or doing community service.”

Many people have a preconceived notion that fighting a ticket in court is a serious and scary affair.

Presenting a case in front of a judge and the officer can make anyone intimidated.

However, it is more like a formality between people, which can only improve the outcome for the defendant.

“I was very nervous at first, until I saw the first person present his case. Once I learned the procedure, it actually wasn’t too bad,” Sciarrillo said.

Tips that officers recommend are to prepare your defense ahead of time; don’t be afraid to ask questions. Before the court date, make an attempt at correcting the issue yourself.

The judge knows that people make mistakes and usually the judge shows good faith toward the defendants. The worst case scenario is that your ticket remains the same. Best case scenario is that the entire citation gets dropped, Ekstedt said.