I plead not guilty to a speeding ticket in california (LA COUNTY) and when I tried to set up a court date the clerk told me that the officer...

Question

I plead not guilty to a speeding ticket in california (LA COUNTY) and when I tried to set up a court date the clerk told me that the officer has to be present before the judge. Therefore I can get court dates only on the days the officer is available. Is this legal? Is there a section in the law that addresses this?

Thank you.

Answer

The court has the discretion to set trial dates, including for the convenience of witnesses. What the judge is doing is legal.