Norco, CA asked in Animal / Dog Law for California

Q: Cited for 1 dog off leash, officer got upset for giving mothers name & rewrote tic for 2 dogs. Abuse of authority?

Walking 2 dogs, 1 was temporarily off leash & animal control saw & cited for the 1. I gave him my mothers name & he concluded I gave him "false" info & got upset & issued another citation for two dogs. But I admit only 1 was off leash & he initially agreed, but seemed to abuse his authority in order to "punish" me to the max. I have copies of both sequential citation #s. Then he added both dogs doubling the fines. How can I fight/prove my case considering he thinks I lied even though he is lying on the ticket?

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2 Lawyer Answers
William John Light
William John Light
Answered
  • Animal & Dog Law Lawyer
  • Santa Ana, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: Go to court on the date given on the citation. Plead not guilty. Get a trial date. Show up for trial. Testify about the truth of what happened. Wait to see if you will be found guilty.

Thomas A. Grossman
Thomas A. Grossman
Answered
  • Palm Springs, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: Sadly, my experience with officers has not been a good one. They often overstep their authority, and routinely lie. It is called the "Blue Wall of Silence," where officers secretly agree to protect and lie for each other to avoid responsibility for their actions. There are probably more good officers than bad ones out there, but the bad ones seem to show up more. You can try to fight the citation, but that may or may not work. Also, you can contact a local news channel and have them investigate the incident. I don't understand why you gave your mother's name instead of yours, and maybe that simply pissed off the officer. Not much else I can recommend.

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