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Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS THE DAILY DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road The Mentors Who Helped Me Along the Way JANUARY 2024 , APC BIGGER
This month is National Mentoring Month, and I want to celebrate those mentors who gave me the tools to create the career I love. From learning to drive, to my time in law school, to fellow attorney colleagues, I owe a lot of people for help along the way. Like many others, my dad taught me to drive. Even before I started, he constantly encouraged me to look out for traffic patterns. He would ask me if I was looking further down the road instead of what was just in front of me. I would make sure to look for the other drivers who were paying attention and learn to anticipate which drivers would switch lanes without signaling or abruptly make a turn. He molded me into a good driver dedicated to respecting the road and fellow drivers. My friend, Greg, saw driving as an art form. He was terrific at it, keeping a solid 3-6 inches from the inside line around corners. He taught me to never be sloppy. Driving well wasn’t just a matter of legality for him, it was about precision and a job well done. He wanted to do things just right and never settled for good enough. Greg helped build on the foundation my dad had set for me. “Without these folks’ dedication, who knows how your life would have been different?”
we don’t live in the same state, but I still would like to see what advice he could give me on running a practice. He helped me see a more concrete future for myself and I will always be grateful. Another attorney who mentored me is Eric. When I first started practicing traffic law, Eric showed me the ropes. Court officers, judges, and other attorneys, Eric seems to know them all. He introduced me to so many people, ensuring I knew how things were run. Eric goes out of his way to know people in court and I appreciate how generous he is with his time and advice. I still see him a couple of times a week when he’s in court and enjoy catching up. Last but certainly not least was Sherman, traffic attorney to the stars. When he was practicing full time in Los Angeles, I would handle some of his cases in Kern County. He taught me to litigate. He would explain the ins and outs of motions and other behind-the-scenes magic. Many traffic law attorneys just argue their case without preparing motions or reviewing the officer videos and reports before court. Sherman was determined to
set himself up for success during his time in the courtroom by doing extra work outside of court. I learned so much from him. I appreciate the time he took to teach me in my younger days. He generously worked to make me better.
These are only five of the many mentors I’ve had in my life. I am grateful for the
impact they have made on my life. I hope you take some time this month to consider who made an impact on your
life. Without these folks’
But driving wasn’t the only thing I was mentored in.
dedication, who knows how your life would have been different?
During law school, I was lucky enough to work alongside Jim on our work for a local political party. I hadn’t grown up with attorneys around me. Jim was a successful attorney who took me under his wing. We would go out to lunch and I would pick his brain on the practice of law. He had a successful firm and was even president of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. He’s now a judge, and
–Mark Bigger
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A CAT’S NOSE KNOWS
The Stray Dog Who Captured the World’s Heart Kupata’s Road to Fame
We often think dogs live the good life, as they seem to do nothing but play, eat, and sleep. Yet, some dogs are busy at work, some without being asked to do so! Take Kupata, the stray dog in Georgia, for example. This street-roaming pup takes it upon himself to guard a crosswalk all day, every day. In the town of Batumi, this stray stays by a single crosswalk and forces traffic to stop to allow pedestrians to cross the street. He’s especially protective of children! If Kupata sees a car isn’t slowing down, he’ll bark at the driver as they drive away and run to protect the person crossing the street. One local even shared that Kupata will cross the road with children and stay at the park to protect the youngsters.
Kupata, which in English means “sausage,” has become a staple in the community due to his hard work, and locals all pitch in to care for and feed the stray dog. His consistently round belly shows just how loved he is. You’ll even see a massive painting of the beloved animal on a nearby building. Now, after tireless days of guarding his street, Kupata has his own doghouse provided by the city with an accompanying star on the road with his name on it. Kupata’s dedication made him go viral on social media, and now travelers from all over the world come to see Kupata. Don’t distract him, though. He’s busy at work!
stray dogs in the country need shelter, food, and companionship. According to activists, around 500,000 stray dogs and cats roam the streets of Georgia. While stray animals may get a bad reputation for being dangerous or unfriendly, Kupata proves that even these furry friends deserve love and recognition.
Sadly, even though Kupata remains cherished by his community, thousands of
NEW YEAR, NEW LAWS EXPLORING TRAFFIC LAWS NOW IN EFFECT
Governor Newsom has signed hundreds of bills into law in 2023, and while they all apply to us, it’s more important than ever to become familiar with the newest traffic laws. As the new year rings in, we want to share just six of the new traffic laws for 2024. These laws are all in effect as of January 1st so remain proactive as you drive into the new year. A pilot system is in place to detect speeding drivers with video cameras. Just like red-light cameras, these aim to ticket those speeding through the streets. AB 645 is trying to cut back on the unsafe speeds many of us are familiar with in our state. In 2019, 68.4% of drivers drove 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on freeways, according to Berkley SafeTREC. That was down 4.2% from the previous study done in 2015. We’re not too happy about it in the office; even most of the police officers we talk to don’t like the red-light cameras and we feel even stronger about the red-light speeding
cameras. It’s just too Big Brother for us, but it won’t stay on your record as the pilot problem rolls out. You now have a two-month window to switch out your expired stickers. AB 256 prohibits police officers from pulling you over solely based on expired tags unless those two months have passed. This will reduce ticketing for this minor infraction. But remember that the vehicle can still be stopped for other infractions. We encourage you to get those tags replaced as soon as you can. Two new laws are in place to combat catalytic converter theft this year. AB 1519 prevents people from removing or altering the identification number on the catalytic converter itself and prohibits them from possessing three or more of these altered converters. AB 641 builds on this and allows law enforcement to officially charge those found with nine or more stolen converters as illegal auto dismantlers.
Another pair of laws encourage drivers to share the road. AB 413 prohibits vehicles from stopping (parking or otherwise) within 20 feet of crosswalks, marked or unmarked. Bulbouts, a sidewalk that juts out into the road, have a 15-foot radius. Lawmakers believe it will help prevent crashes with pedestrians and ensure safety for those crossing the walkway. AB 361 allows the installation of cameras on parking enforcement vehicles. The recorded photographs will be used to cite vehicles illegally parked in bike lanes. These laws push for mutual respect for others on the roads and walkways. As always in California, be sure to triple-check where you’re parking. These are just a few of the new traffic laws that may affect you in the new year. Feel free to chat with us about them if you have any questions. Shoot me an email with “Attention: Mark” in the subject line. We would hate for you to start the year with a ticket!
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According to the Punjab Truck Association, of the 1.5 million truck drivers on U.S. highways, about 150,000 are Punjabis. We’re familiar with these hard workers in our office, as we often meet them and hear their stories in our work together. I’m always in awe of the dedication in building a living for their family bit by bit. The sacrifices made today for their trucking businesses create the American dream of tomorrow for their families. I’ve also learned a little bit about the food culture. Right here in Bakersfield there is a food truck at a truck stop off I-5 that serves up healthy dishes to fuel drivers on their journeys. Punjabi Dhaba, a food truck next to a trucking school, is so good it has been featured in The New York Times. Their hearty vegetarian dishes perfectly cater to the many drivers who frequent the picnic tables to rest their bodies. Balvinder Singh Saini and Mansi Tiwari created Punjabi Dhaba in 2016 after taking over a former Mexican food truck. The modest menu is cooked entirely from scratch by the husband and wife team alongside other family members. They seem always busy, with families on road trips, college students, and truckers all enjoying the hearty fare in the garden behind their trucks. We applaud the work Punjabi Dhaba does to feed these essential drivers, and we’re proud of the work we do to get them back on the road. The American dream is to be able to build a life for your family, and they’re doing it while helping the community eat good food while they work!. Check out Punjabi Dhaba yourself at 16020 Costajo Road, Hwy. 99 Exit 13, about 12 miles south from our office in Bakersfield. We recommend the classic roti and butter chicken. Tell them we sent you! A Local Gem CELEBRATING OUR PUNJABI FOOD COMMUNITY
Your Referrals Make a Difference! Thanks to your 62 referrals in December, we were able to donate $740 to help fight human trafficking and lead medical missions. INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION To learn more about International Justice Mission and their mission to protect half a billion vulnerable people from exploitation, please go to IJM.org . MEDICAL MISSIONS OUTREACH To learn more about showing God’s love by providing quality medical treatment to some of the poorest people in the world, visit the Medical Missions Outreach home page at Medical-Outreach.com .
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 CORINTHIANS 16:13-14
Do you have any suggestions of great places to eat right off the highway in California? Send us suggestions at Brendan@biggerharmanlaw.com.
Punjabi Dhaba, Google Maps
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, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER
Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Celebrating National Mentoring Month.......... PAGE 1
Meet Kupata, Georgia’s Street-Roaming Pup Hero................................................................. PAGE 2
The Newest Traffic Laws..................................... PAGE 2
Celebrating Punjabi Dhaba................................ PAGE 3
A Preview of 2024’s Best Celestial Events..... PAGE 4
Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge!
EXPLORE THE CELESTIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF 2024 KEEP YOUR EYES TO THE SKY
You could easily miss a lot happening above our atmosphere if you didn’t stay up late or watch the news beforehand. Once the sun sets tonight, look up at the sky. As long as you’re not in an area with heavy light pollution, you should be able to see brilliant constellations. On some nights, you may even see more than you expected. No, we’re not talking about UFOs or little green men but about naturally occurring phenomena deep in outer space. Several unique events take place in 2024. Here are the highlights you don’t want to miss! METEOR SHOWERS Seeing a shooting star is magical, but witnessing a meteor shower is awe-
inspiring. Meteor showers occur when interstellar dust particles enter our planet’s atmosphere at high speeds. The first meteor shower of the year is the Quadrantids Meteor Shower, which should take place a few days after New Year’s, but if you miss it, you won’t have to wait long to see another. April, May, July, August, October, and November should also have meteor showers. Be aware that if the moon shines too brightly, you likely won’t be able to see the meteors. SATURN Looking at other planets can be fascinating but not always possible, especially without a telescope. Thankfully, you won’t need a telescope to see Saturn and its rings on Sept. 8. Once the sun sets,
head outside and look to the east. You should see a bright yellow star that’s not usually visible. That’s Saturn! TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE You won’t have to wait until night to see this rare occurrence. On April 8, the moon will pass perfectly between the Sun and Earth, creating an eclipse. Residents of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine will see a total eclipse for only a handful of minutes. The rest of the country will still see an eclipse, but it won’t be as extreme. The next total solar eclipse won’t occur until August 2044, so get out there and see it this year! Just be sure to wear protective eyewear!
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