Category: Traffic Citations

Dodgers star outfielder Yasiel Puig was arrested last Saturday after the Florida Highway Patrol clocked him driving 110 mph in a 70 mph zone.  Puig was arrested, taken to the local county jail for processing and likely given a citation to appear.

California Vehicle Code section 23103 (reckless driving) states that any person convicted of this section shall receive county jail for no less than 5 days and no more than 90 and a fine of somewhere between $145 – $1,000, or both.

Reckless driving is a misdemeanor in California and is something that should be treated very seriously.  Not only is there the possibility of jail time for a conviction, but also potential impact on your driver’s license or even your employment.  There are many factors that are considered by the prosecutor in a reckless driving case.  Your rate of speed, whether or not you were swerving, any good cause explanation for the rate of speed, and other factors are highly relevant in getting this charged reduced and avoiding jail.

If you were arrested in Los Angeles for reckless driving, a DUI, hit and run or any other traffic violation in Los Angeles, contact attorney Ross Erlich as soon as possible to prevent your license from being suspended.  Remember, taking care of something like this the right way the first time will likely save you headache in the months or years to follow.

According to www.distraction.gov, the official government website on distracted driving, you are 23 times more likely to crash while texting and driving.  This statistic is the motivating factor behind a national campaign to reduce distracted driving and the California Highway Patrol is instituting a zero-tolerance policy for texting and cell phone use.

Currently, a minimum cost of a cellphone ticket is $159 and other subsequent tickets may rise as high as $279.

The National Safety Council has found that more than 2 in 3 drivers last month reported talking on their cell phone while driving.  Another fact to consider is that approximately 9% of all drivers in the country are talking on their phone at any given moment during the day, according to the National High Traffic Safety Administration.

So, what does this mean for you?  Well, it means that the CHP, the Los Angeles Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies will be looking for distracted drivers and will be issuing tickets to persons they see texting, emailing, Facebooking, and Twittering.  They will be riding up next to you, looking through your windows and issuing tickets for any slight violation.  Traffic officers take these violations very seriously as distracted driving is one of the leading causes of traffic accidents and injuries.

If you have been issued a ticket for cell phone use, texting, speeding or any other moving violation, it is important to contact attorney Ross Erlich and discuss what options are available avoid a point on your license, possible license suspension or an increase of your insurance premiums.  Keep in mind that just because you were issued a traffic ticket doesn’t mean you have to plead guilty and pay the fine.  Attorney Ross Erlich can fight to get the ticket dismissed or get the fines greatly reduced and handles all tickets in Metro Court, Van Nuys, Chatsworth and Beverly Hills.

You know the feeling: you’re driving a little too fast, maybe late for an appointment or work and all of the sudden you see those dreaded red and blue lights in your rear-view mirror. The Los Angeles Police officer or California Highway Patrolman approaches your car and, while you both may know why you are stopped, proceeds to ask if you know why he or she stopped you.

Speeding tickets are, well, sometimes just a part of life. They can be a costly violation; average fines for speeding violation after assessments total close to $500 plus $64 for a traffic school fee and then the cost of traffic school itself. If you were driving 100mph or above, there is also the possibility of higher fines, 2 points on your license and a DMV negligent operator license suspension hearing.

The same holds true for other traffic violations – they add up quickly. Failures to appear, civil assessments and other multiple citations can make what first appeared to be a simple fix-it ticket turn into a several hundred dollar headache.

In the Metropolitan Los Angeles area, most traffic tickets are handled out of the Metropolitan Courthouse.  Other high volume traffic courts are the Santa Monica Courthouse, Van Nuys Courthouse and Beverly Hills Courthouse.  Attorney Ross Erlich has handled numerous speeding and other traffic violations in these courthouses with a high success rate. Attorney Ross Erlich knows that speeding tickets and other point violations can negatively impact your auto insurance rates and that there are other ways at resolving these traffic matters that do not carry a point violation.

If you or someone you know has been cited for speeding, driving without a license, driving on a suspended license, failure to have insurance, registration or any other traffic violation, contact Attorney Ross Erlich at (323) 222-4529.