Doesn't Sound Fair!
How can the courts (California) possibly justify charging such outlandish costs on a simple $100.00 fine (in my case total penalty is $341.00, which makes the court costs over double that of the actual fine amount) when such costs are not provided for by local rules, laws and/or regulations? Are there unwritten laws that the court and other agencies can use when, and as, they see fit?
My case differs a little bit from the other case above. I have a corvette, which is a 2-passenger car, and I was basically "worked" (as my 13-year-old daughter puts it) by her and her 13-year-old girlfriend to drive them to a school dance, located at a distance of approx. 3-4 blocks. As no other vehicle was available to me, and as I considered the risk to be minimal due to the short driving distance, I agreed to take them. However, although they shared the front passenger seat which offers only 1 seat belt, I had both girls securely fastened into the seat by the 1 belt. Upon my pulling into the school parking lot, an officer pulled me over and cited me for CVC section 27360.5. He also voluntarily advised me that the reason he was parked at said location was due to the fact that a "fatal" car accident occured the evening prior. As my daughter attends the school whereat this accident occured the night before, I was already aware of the accident. However, I found out the next day that the accident was NOT fatal, and that the mother whom was struck would fully recover. Wow! Cops do lie! Anyway, is there any angle of defense that you can suggest for presenting argument for this situation? Any help would be extremely appreciated. I just can't get myself to pay $341.00 on a $100.00 fine. It's "highway robbery"!
Melissa