proof of insurance

I was recently pulled over while test driving a car in Los Angeles. The cars registration had expired and the owner of the car was moving to NY. She offered to sell it to me and i told her i needed to take it for a test drive. I was driving aroud the block when I applied the brakes hard on purpose. there was no trafic around me and I posed no danger to any other motorist. However there happened to be a cop sitting at the intersection when I did this. He asked for my licenses and registration when I told him the car is unregistered and I am test driving it. He then gave me a ticket for no insurance and failure to provide registration then towed the car.
My question is this. How was I supposed to have any of these items when I didn't own the car? I since have not purchesed the car nor am I going to. I use public transit and don't own a vehicle, why would i get insurance? What can I do about this situtation? I'm going to plead not guilty and fight the ticket on two accounts. One is that fact of why I was pulled over in the first place? I commited no trafic violation, its not illegal to stop abruptly. second is the fact that I don't own the car nor ever will. please email me with some advice at [email protected]
thanks
Brian

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face=" Arial, Verdana, Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by [email protected]:
I was recently pulled over while test driving a car in Los Angeles. The cars registration had expired and the owner of the car was moving to NY. She offered to sell it to me and i told her i needed to take it for a test drive. I was driving aroud the block when I applied the brakes hard on purpose. there was no trafic around me and I posed no danger to any other motorist. However there happened to be a cop sitting at the intersection when I did this. He asked for my licenses and registration when I told him the car is unregistered and I am test driving it. He then gave me a ticket for no insurance and failure to provide registration then towed the car.
My question is this. How was I supposed to have any of these items when I didn't own the car? I since have not purchesed the car nor am I going to. I use public transit and don't own a vehicle, why would i get insurance? What can I do about this situtation? I'm going to plead not guilty and fight the ticket on two accounts. One is that fact of why I was pulled over in the first place? I commited no trafic violation, its not illegal to stop abruptly. second is the fact that I don't own the car nor ever will. please email me with some advice at [email protected]
thanks
Brian<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

You know what they say about "ignorance of the law" don't you? The law makes no exceptions for "test drives." Any time a car is on the street, it poses a danger. For example, you had no idea whether or not a child would run out into the street, did you? Prior to taking the car, you had an obligation, under the law, to determine whether the car was registered, and whether there was insurance on the vehicle so that you could drive the car as a "permissive user." This is plain, simple and to the point. No crossed fingers and no "time-outs." Once you're driving on the public streets, the Vehicle Code takes over and applies. Oh, and as for the "hard braking", your ticket is undoubtedly for "vehicle exhibitionism."

IAAL

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