Realize,too, that your case is the most important case in the world... but only to you.
Your case will get about 3 minutes in front of the judge. The moment you start producing graphs, photographs and other evidence, you are annoying the court.
Why? Because you aren't an attorney and don't really understand what is and is not evidence... and what does and doesn't help YOUR case.
My daughter when she was 17 got a ticket. We went to court. I wasn't allowed to say a word.
If she can do it, so can you.
In respect to evidence, FOIA requests and responses are admissible. Heck, anything is admissible if not objected to.
And I have found that most, not all, but most judges will allow you to present your case & cross-examine & rule on objections & motions. And most give some degree of leeway to pro se litigants (as the law requires) regarding the time allowed (there is no rule on how much time you have).
As far as affirmative defenses, and it appears as if the OP is hinging his case currently solely on this point(s) then the OP should know that the burden shifts to him ... and this burden is not light.
I rarely use affirmative defenses in anything other than a "back-up plan" even if I think the evidence clearly supports a finding of an affirmative defense in my favor. I only bring up affirmative defenses during my presentation of the case, not during the prosecution's case presentation (exception: in cross of the officer if there is a need to get something on the record from his testimony).
