What You Need To Know about Traffic Tickets in Needles, CA

So your traveling through Arizona and find yourself in California. Three states come together near Needles Calfornia, and make no mistake, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is waiting for you as the speed limit drops, particularly for commercial drivers. And, after driving in Arizona for quite some time through the dessert at 85 mph (speed limit 75) you stick out like a sore thumb once you cross into California, and the CHP is waiting to enforce lower speed limits.

Most of the time drivers are destined for locations other than Needles, CA. Yes there are things to do at the border where the Colorado River and Laughlin provide some entertainment, but the vast majority of those traveling through that area are not bound for other cities in California like Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, or a beach city on the coast. All of which are hundreds of miles from Needles, CA. And if you are a commercial driver, you have loads to haul in all 50 states, getting back to the court in Needles generally does not always comport with your business schedule.

It is rumored that the CHP in Needles issues more tickets through the I-40 and I-15 corridors than the rest of Southern California CHP combined.  And they catch drivers in both directions. If your coming from California, the I-40 drops down to the Colorado River at the border. The steep 6% grade into Needles is an invitation for speeding and the CHP enforces the speed limit there. There is also a 145 mile empty expanse between Barstow and Needles with few services and hardly any civilization, so drivers often try and shave some minutes of that 2 hour and 15 minute trek across the desert where the road is wide open.    

Unfortunately when you receive your courtesy notice from the court regarding your traffic citation, you are hundreds of miles from the courthouse, and you realize your “appear by” date is approaching quickly (See our post on traffic ticket dates). But, you want to excercise your rights and contest the ticket. You need an attorney.

There are a few attorneys who regularly appear in Needles Court (like the undersigned). Yes attorneys usually are expensive, but given the volume of tickets written for that court, there are economies of scale and you can hire an attorney at a reasonable flat fee - give us a call (818) 491-7787.

Keep in mind that the officers in the Needles CHP station do appear in court regularly so you need an experienced attorney to get the best possible result. San Bernardino County is a very large geographical area (one of biggest Counties in the Country) with Court locations ranging from Rancho Cucamonga, through Fontana, and Victorville, over to Joshua Tree and then to the border at Needles. We appear in all of those courts and we generally get some concession including, lower fines, amended violations to non-moving no point infractions, and we are always worked to get matters dismissed..

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And any attorney who claims they can’t loose and wants to charge a ridiculously low rate is a fraud - so put your sneakers on and run from those attorneys. Keep in mind that in addition to dismissals, there are other positive results (See our post Possible Court Outcomes for Traffic Tickets) We can provide a free consultation and will walk you through the process and be with you the entire way. Don’t fret - even if the ticket is past due. Let’s take care of it so you don't have to go to Needles, CA.

Kevin Callon Boyle Esq. is an experienced attorney licensed in California. He has handles thousands of traffic matters in Southern California. He is regularly in Needles, CA handling Traffic citations of all types representing commercial and non-commercial drivers. (818) 491-7787