California Vehicle Code 22450: Special Stops Required states that all drivers in the Golden State must come to a complete halt when approaching a CVC stop sign. Rolling stops are not permitted. Motor vehicles must stop before entering intersection limit lines or crosswalks.
In circumstances where no limit line or crosswalk exists, the driver of the motor vehicle must stop at the entrance to the intersecting roadway. The vehicle code also extends to stop signs in front of railroad crossings.
When approaching a railroad grade, all drivers must stop at the limit line before crossing the first track. If you find yourself in a legal situation where California Vehicle Code 22450 is involved, our lawyers can help to understand this California vehicle code.
What Happens if You Ignore Your Ticket for Violating California Vehicle Code 22450
If you refuse to pay the fines for your CVC 22450 stop sign violation, you must schedule a court hearing. Failing to schedule or appear at your court hearing will result in California Vehicle Code Section 40508: Failure to Appear in court on a traffic citation.
And while stop sign violations are infractions, a VC 40508 charge constitutes a misdemeanor. VC 40508 can result in fines of up to $1,000 as well as a six-month sentence in county jail.
Furthermore, the state may decide to withhold your driver’s license until you appear in court or until you pay all the fines you owe. In some cases, a judge may temporarily suspend your driving privileges altogether.
What to Know About CVC 22450 Traffic Violations
If you get pulled over for not coming to a complete stop, a police officer may write you a ticket for violating California VC 22450: Special Stops Required. The fine for this type of infraction is currently a total of $238, and this does not include additional court fees or assessment costs.
Once you receive a ticket, you have three options:
- Pay the fine and all associated expenses
- Fight the ticket in court with the goal of not having to pay anything
- Attend a California traffic safety school program once every 18 months
The most significant advantage of participating in a traffic safety school is avoiding receiving points on your driving record. If you accept the charges and pay the fine, you will receive one point for violating CVC 22450.
How an Attorney Can Help You Fight Your Stop Sign Charges
If you choose to fight your stop sign violation, do so with a criminal defense lawyer by your side. Not only will your defense attorney understand California’s traffic laws, but they will also know the most effective defense strategies to reduce your charges.
Additionally, if you hire an attorney to represent your case, you do not have to be present during the hearing. While some people choose to self-represent in court, it is in your interest to pay for an attorney who has experience handling cases of this nature.
Possible Defenses in Response to CVC 22450 Charges
When fighting a stop sign violation, the verdict comes down to your word against the police officer’s statement. Unfortunately, in most cases, the judge will side with the police officer.
That said, an experienced lawyer can apply certain defense strategies to prove that you did not violate the law. In doing so, the goal is to reduce your charges, if not dismiss them altogether.
The Stop Sign Was Recently Installed in the Area
Your defense attorney can argue that you missed the new traffic stop if a stop sign was recently installed. Judges may be sympathetic to these circumstances. In turn, they may agree to reduce your fines or let you off with a warning if you can prove it was recently installed.
The Stop Sign or Limit Line Was Not Clearly Visible To You
City officials must make stop signs and traffic lights visible to all road users. If poor lighting, vegetation overgrowth, or construction materials obscured the visibility of the stop sign, your lawyer can use this as a defense when facing charges for violating CVC 22450.
Your attorney can use photo and video evidence to verify that the stop sign was not clearly visible at the time of the incident. So, while you may have failed to come to a complete stop, your defense lawyer will argue that it was not your fault because of the obstructions.
The same rule of thought applies to crosswalks and limit lines. If you received a CVC 22450 violation for not stopping prior to a limit line or a crosswalk, your attorney can prove that it was because the lines were not visible to you at the time.
You Came to a Complete Stop Farther Back That Necessary
CVC 22450 requires motor vehicle drivers to stop at the nearest limit line, crosswalk, or intersection entrance. However, some drivers stop before these markers.
In these circumstances, a police officer may not have seen the driver come to a stop, and in turn, they decided to issue a traffic violation based on the information they had at the time. Your lawyer can request a copy of the police officer’s notes to verify where the office was positioned.
If the officer does not have notes to reference, your lawyer can ask them to testify in court regarding their position. If the officer confirms they were far enough away to miss you coming to a complete stop, your CVC 22450 penalties may be dropped.
You Failed to Stop Due to an Emergency
If you had a valid excuse for running the stop sign, your attorney may use that as a defense. However, these types of defenses are reserved for emergencies, and you will likely have to submit evidence to prove that an emergency warranted your violation.
Contact a Burbank Personal Injury Lawyer for Legal Advice When Facing a CVC 22450
If you are facing violations for CVC 22450: Special Stops Required, let the legal professionals at Simmrin Law Group represent your case. When you reach out to us, we can tell you more about us as criminal defense attorneys as we review your claim and look at the details of your case.
From there, we can work towards determining an effective defense strategy and explore options to reduce your charges. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start advocating for your rights.