Trial by Written Declaration is a trial option offered in California for most infractions. It allows the defendant to challenge their traffic ticket without a court appearance by submitting a written defense. For example, if you go over the speed limit and receive a traffic ticket, you have two choices — you can plead guilty and pay the fine or request a trial. A trial by written declaration is the most advantageous way to contest an alleged traffic violation. Using this procedure correctly maximizes your probability of success by affording two opportunities, written trial and in-person (if needed) to dismiss the alleged violation. In the unlikely event your citation is not dismissed using a trial by written declaration you can throw out the verdict and judge to have the case heard again (in-person) with a new judge. This process is called a Trial De Novo. By choosing an in-person trial first the client is already lessening their chances of success by over 50%.