When fighting traffic tickets in court, you might be your downfall

As with most people who land in traffic court, Dae Lee, Denise Milton and Felix Arellanoramirez were defiant.

Lee indeed was impeding traffic, Milton did pass through that stop sign, and it was true that Arellanoramirez was driving without a license, they told the judge.

But, they argued, they still did not deserve a ticket.

In court recently, each made the mistake attorneys and judges say is the most common among those who choose to represent themselves in traffic court -- they admitted to their guilt.

When a few hundred dollars in fines are weighed against attorney fees that can exceed $1,000, most people who fight traffic tickets choose to represent themselves. The majority, however, show up with little understanding of the law or court proceedings. As a result, traffic trials end up functioning more like therapy, where defendants tell their side of the tale to their heart's content.

"They want a chance to come tell their story," said J. Stephen Czuleger, presiding judge of Los Angeles County Superior Court, who recently filled in at traffic court to help reduce a backlog of arraignments. "This is where the rubber meets the road, the average citizen comes into contact with the justice system."

Most people who receive one of the 1.8 million tickets issued in the county each year plead guilty or no contest. Less than 5% of the cases go to trial, according to Gregory Blair, a senior administrator for the county courts who oversees traffic operations in 27 courthouses.

Recently, steeper fines, stricter regulations for truck drivers and the growing volume of citations issued as a result of traffic cameras are causing more people to fight their tickets, according to traffic attorneys who have seen an increase in demand for their services.

Of those who ask for a trial, many become intimidated by the prospect of having to argue their case before a judge and decide at the last minute to plead guilty and opt for traffic school instead. A handful win legal victories when the officer who wrote the ticket doesn't show up, which results in the automatic dismissal of a case.

Those who remain tend to be the most fervent about their innocence.

"Sometimes they get emotional. Everybody's mad about their ticket," said Czuleger, who listened to the arguments of Lee, Milton, Arellanoramirez and scores of others last month.