i am pretty damn proud that we got off. how the hell was she suppose to know that the sign didn't mean no left turn at the intersection. the parking lot was was right next to an intersection. if it was really so big of a concern, the cop would have responded to the trial of declaration.
here was the 'strategy'
The sign says "No U-turn" and you make one anyway. The sign says "No Left Turn" but there you go, making a safe left turn when traffic is clear. It would seem that these sort of actions would be the most cut-and-dry for the police to cite you. The guilt in these cases seems obvious. Not always. Because these type of violations are less common, officers often forget the exact code that applies. To avoid writing an improper code (which would guarantee a dismissal to the savvy ticket consumer) they instead cite you under a generic sign code, CVC 21461(a).
Failure to obey a sign or signal, 21461(a), is perhaps the most vague moving violation in the entire vehicle code. This charge is used by police as a "catch-all" when they cannot remember a specific charge for which to cite you.
CVC 21461(a), Disobedience to Official Traffic Control Devices, states:"It shall be unlawful for any driver of a vehicle to fail to obey any sign or signal erected or maintained to indicate and carry out the provisions of this code or any local traffic ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to a local traffic ordinance."
The text of 21461(a) indicates that this code can not stand alone as an enforceable traffic offense; some other vehicle code provision or local traffic ordinance must have been violated for you to be guilty of violating 21461(a).
Here we contest that the code or ordinance that the sign allegedly enforces may not exist and that your actions may have been legal. If the officer can not recall the "referent" law that the sign is meant to make you obey, your case should be dismissed.
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