Attorney West Seegmiller of KFWB News Talk 980’S “WEST OF LEGAL” Discusses Some New California Laws For 2012

On Sunday, January 8, at 1:00 p.m., WEST OF LEGAL on KFWB NEWS TALK 980 will discuss new California laws for 2012, including a new booster seat law, how police at sobriety checkpoints are no longer be able to impound the cars of unlicensed drivers, and the expiration of the yellow sticker program that allowed hybrid owners to use car pool lanes. The show will also focus on the issue of cellular phone use at red lights.

California motorists are sometimes under the assumption that they can use cell phones at red lights. This is a misconception, since it is indeed a violation of the vehicle code to use a cell phone even while stopped for a traffic light or any other circumstance other than being parked on the side of the road. The show will examine whether there is a possibility that stringent cell phone use laws could lead to a nationwide ban on the use of handheld devices. National and local efforts to crack down on distracted drivers will also be discussed.

Among the new laws in California that went into effect on January 1 is a new booster seat law signed by Governor Jerry Brown. Now, children under eight years old traveling in cars must be in a booster seat unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Although it may be tempting for parents to ignore the law, there is a fine of $500 for violating the law and one point on the offender’s driver’s license.

Hybrid owners will now have to sweat it out alongside their gas-guzzling counterparts in bumper-to-bumper traffic. On January 1, the yellow sticker program that allowed solo drivers to drive in the HOV lanes expired. However, California will issue up to 40,000 new Green Clean Air Vehicle stickers through January 1, 2015 on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Also beginning January 1, the state of California is offering an amnesty program for delinquent ticket holders. The state is slashing unpaid traffic ticket prices by 50% off what is currently owed under a new deal beginning Jan. 1, 2012 for the first six months of the year until June 30.

Another new law that began on Jan. 1, 2012 prevents police at sobriety checkpoints from impounding the cars of unlicensed drivers. Unlicensed drivers still face hefty fines of about $300. Most police departments give unlicensed drivers 20 to 30 minutes to find someone to pick up the vehicle. Many of these unlicensed drivers are also uninsured motorists.

Seegmiller founded The West Seegmiller Law Firm (www.theseegmillerlawfirm.com) over 30 years ago and is focused on tackling a variety of personal injury and wrongful death cases, including premises liability, product liability, auto accidents, dog bites, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, at-work injuries and more. The firm has offices in Irvine, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Seegmiller served as a Pro Tem judge for the California Supreme Court for 10 years in addition to serving as a mediator. He is also a member of the Professional Association of the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, The American Bar Association, The Consumer Attorneys of California, and the American Association for Justice. Seegmiller earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of California Davis and his master’s degree from the University of Southern California. Additionally, Mr. Seegmiller earned his Juris Doctorate from the McGeorge School of Law University of the Pacific in Sacramento, where he was selected to compete in the highly competitive Traynor National Moot Court Team and was a member of the prestigious Pacific Law Review. Since establishing his own firm in 1981, Mr. Seegmiller continues to educate himself and expand his knowledge in the legal field. He has refined his skills in the practice by attending both the Harvard Law School Program of Instruction for Lawyers, as well as, The Jerry Spence Trial Lawyers College.