Lawyers Set to Fight Jaywalking Tickets

Slightly off topic, but there are many misconceptions regarding jaywalking. Some that I didn't know until recently are:

1.It is illegal to enter a crosswalk after the signal starts flashing. CVC#21456

2.The only time that you are NOT allowed to cross in the middle of a block is when BOTH intersections on either side have signals. If you cross in the middle of a block you must yield the right of way to vehicles unless you're in a crosswalk.

I don't know how #1 works with the new countdown pedestrian signals. They don't seem to fit the law.

"#2" is why it's okay to cross the streets in residential neighborhoods in the middle of the block. It's mostly not applicable downtown, but there are places where it is.

http://www.walksf.org/vehicleCodes.html

It's a big joke when members of law enforcment aren't doing much or anything about all the truly serious illegal activity taking place in downtown. If cops have enough time to hand out jaywalking tickets, then why the hell don't they ever seem to have much time to deal with drug dealers, taggers and people pissing on the sidewalks?

It's easy and lazy for cops to crack down on jaywalkers (rolls eyes) instead of the really significant illegal activity that spoils the area's quality of life. As far as I'm concerned, the police who are issuing jaywalking tickets are nothing but glorified tax collectors.

Oh come on. They would not be cracking down if there was not a very good reason. To call the police lazy is just childish. I recommend you go on some of the neighborhood walks in Downtown. You will find the police have a very deep understanding of what is happening downtown and know that the problems are real, pervasive and very long standing. They care deeply about the lost souls on our streets, but also know from direct personal experience that helping these people is a very tricky thing.

The reality is always way more complicated than any eye-roller would like to think. I recommend that you find some 'cops' and shake his or her hand and have a conversation about our streets. You will come away far less certain of yourself.

"They would not be cracking down if there was not a very good reason."

There's more of a good reason here than in New York City? The folks in Gotham jaywalk like there's no tomorrow and yet that town manages to do quite well, thank you. By contrast, LA, whose cops have been prigs about jaywalking for decades, is a city infamous for its mostly barren sidewalks. But, worse, now it's a city whose downtown sidewalks, when they're busy at all, often are full of the wandering homeless, crack addicts, thugs and taggers.

Best of both worlds: a lot of sidewalks that people want to avoid or aren't too thrilled to be strolling on in the first place, and then the threat of being handed a jaywalking ticket around the bend.

Actually my experience is during the past 10 years jaywalking has become much more pervasive in Los Angeles than it used to be. I've been on buses where the operator had to slam the brakes when some careless fool stepped out to cross an arterial like Wilshire without regard to the obvious risk of being hit by walking in front of moving vehicles. The mind reels at the level of stupidity.

I made my first and ONLY visit to Los Angeles in 1990. I was crossing the corner of 3rd Street and Olive when an LAPD officer on his motorcycle drove up to me and asked me where I was from. I told him New York and he told me "well, that figures, give me your ID". I gave it to him asking him what the problem was, he told me that I just crossed a "don't walk" sign.

Where I come from, people jaywalk all the time and I have never heard of anybody getting a ticket for jaywalking. In fact, I never even heard of the term "jaywalking" when I got that $20 ticket. I demanded to know why this has never been publicized that L.A. cops ticket pedestrians for walking a "don't walk" sign. He just gave me his attitude and told me "well the sign says 'don't walk', which means just that, 'don't walk'!" I asked him what if I didn't know you were enforcing the law, he just told me "ignorance is not a valid excuse". I said to him there were no cars passing when I crossed the street, then he just started putting words in my mouth saying "so what you are telling me is that as long as there are no cars, that gives you a right to break the law?" I said no more to him, it was going nowhere.

What's even more frustrating was that cop also said he's originally from New York himself and he claims that NYC also has laws against jaywalking. I ask him why I don't get ticketed then, he said "because the NYPD doesn't enforce the laws there".

As soon as the ticket was mailed to me in NYC, I paid the $20 fine and was done with it.

Please understand that I never meant any disrespect toward how you people do things over there. Had I known the police ticket jaywalkers, I would not have walked the "don't walk" light. I also think it's very disrespectful to target people who may not be familiar with your laws. The experience has soured my attitude towards L.A. and cops in general. I have warned many people about visiting your city saying that cops go after visitors who cross the "don't walk" sign.

This Doesn't suprise me, back in 2002 I got a jaywalking ticket for breakdancing. still stops me from getting my license.

I live in New York. I had a trip back in October to L.A., where I got a jay walking ticket. The white walking figure was lit when I stepped off the curb but quickly turned to the red blinking hand. Mind you no cars were coming and the signal light for the cars was still red. But since the blinking red hand was illuminated, I was unaware it was illegal to cross. I always understood the law to be if you've started walking across the street while the blinking hand was on, that you continue to cross but if it's blinking you don't begin to walk. The fine is very hefty in my opinion:$123.00, which is why I've decided to fight the ticket in court. I am frequently in L.A. so it's not such a big inconvenience to go to court. I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience in going to court for this ticket. I welcome any advice. Thanks. Leslie Lee

Pick up the book “How to Fight Your Ticket In California and Win”, or better yet, read the book online for free. Ironically, the Los Angeles Public Library offers the book through its NetLibrary service to any card holder.

Do a trial by declaration first. Many times officers don’t have the time to write a statement, especially for jaywalking offenses. Sometimes, judges will waive fines (like in Mayvis Coyle’s case) if you are indigent or have a good story, so put that in the declaration as well as the facts of the case. If the trial by declaration fails, ask for a trial de novo and force the officer to appear in court. Request the officer’s statement from the Court as it becomes a public record once it was filed. Remember that jaywalking is not a “points” offense on your driver’s license, and that making the government prove your case guilty beyond a reasonable doubt is your constitutional right. So make it as hard as possible.

Also, check to make sure that the road is governed by traffic signals at all intersections. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/20/MN148388.DTL If the road intersects a public alley, use that as your challenge. It occasionally works. You would have thought that after the fiasco of Mayvis Coyle they would have done better, but they haven’t.

I don't understand I was hit by a car on a one way street but I have a jaywalking ticket