Q: I got a traffic ticket a while back, and missed my court date. I’d totally forgotten about it until I got something in the mail last week, saying I owed money on my outstanding ticket. It’s a huge amount now, with interest and late fees, etc. Can I ask for a payment plan or community service? I don’t have the money to pay the ticket right now. -Tanya   A: The payment of past-due traffic tickets is handled through the Sacramento County Department of Revenue Recovery. Periodically, the agency sends out letters regarding outstanding balances, in an attempt to collect money owed to the County. If you receive a letter from the Department of Revenue Recovery and wish to pay the amount in fu

Q: I received a parking ticket. I want to fight it. How do I do that?     A: This is a question that comes up a lot. And fighting a parking ticket can be a valuable lesson in civics and local government. Each jurisdiction has a different procedure, and it depends on where you receive the ticket. So, lesson one is to figure out who issued the ticket. Just because you think you are in the city of Sacramento or Elk Grove doesn’t mean you really are. Boundaries are not straight, and you need to read the ticket to see who issued it. Most jurisdictions require you to dispute the ticket IN WRITING within 21 days. That is a firm deadline. If you wait 30 days, you have lost your opportunity. T

The surveillance state is a miracle of convenience. In the old days, if you ran a red light, you had to go through the rigmarole of being pulled over by a police officer. Today, by contrast, you are more likely to see a flash of light from one of the red-light camera mounted at intersections around the county and a week or so later receive a set of photographs in the mail: one of you behind the wheel of your car with a swear word still crinkling your lips; another of your car entering the intersection illegally; and, finally, a close-up of your licence plate. Just think: all the incriminating evidence sent directly to your home, and you didn't even have to ask for it. It's almost as cleve