Santa Monica Loves Tickets

January 3, 2007 8:11 PM

What should I do when I go to traffic court to ask for '2nd-chance' traffic school in Santa Monica?

I got a second ticket within a few months of doing traffic school for the first and I was denied regular traffic school. I now have a court date at the end of the month to ask a judge for '2nd-chance' or '12-hour' traffic school.

It's very important I do this, as my insurance has gone up $1000/yr over the 2nd ticket.

I've never been to traffic court of any kind, so I'm not sure what to expect. Has anyone done this before in CA or Los Angeles? What can I expect? What should I do/say? Should I talk to a lawyer?

posted by milinar to Law & Government (2 answers total)

I live in Sherman Oaks, and I haven't done it in several years, but I've taken traffic school (on the internet) no less than 4 times during one 2-year-period.

I had the twelve hour course requirement and called a couple of online traffic schools (sorry, I can't remember the name) who told me I could simply take the same course online twice in a row. If this is still legal, I am certain someone will accomodate you, though you will have to pay for the course twice.

And I cannot stress this enough: online is, by far, the best way to do this. An "8 hour course" actually only takes about 3 hours and you can do it while you're watching TV or goofing off at work. Seriously, if at all possible, do not go to a class.
posted by dhammond at 8:31 PM on January 3, 2007

Just FYI, I completed an online traffic school in CA to get out of points due to a speeding ticket in about 20 minutes - tops. Really, a no-brainer considering it only cost $15.
posted by aberrant at 9:38 PM on January 3, 2007