However, my scenario is pretty straightforward. I'm guessing anything more complex is going to get denied. You can always appear in front of a judge.
The problem is that regardless of how angry petty bullshit injustices like this make me, it is simply not worth my time to go fight a parking ticket (it was like $100 or something) in person. Same thing for hiring a lawyer -- it's cheaper to just pay. Plus, I imagine they have the final word anyway and I'm quite disillusioned with the fairness of their whole "trial" thing.
I suspect this is the case for many/most people who get these tickets, and probably a large part of the reason that they can get away with it. It's disgusting but true, and besides someone exposing the scam with data like this, I'm not sure what else I could've done.
That makes more sense when you realize that final appeals from these adjudicators' decisions go to the director of the agency.
1. The agency reviews it.
2. An "independent" ALJ reviews it.
2a. Sometimes the head of the agency can and will review it.
3. * A superior court commissioner (traffic commissioner) reviews it. *
4. A superior court judge (a "real judge") reviews it.
#. Courts of appeals do NOT review these cases.
#. Supreme Court does NOT review the cases.
You got to 3 but you likely never actually saw a judge. A hearing by a "real judge" costs a hell of a lot more than $25 in California.
It is not just an issue of her name appearing on the paperwork. My testimony, as well as the parking department's, was made directly to her, and I presented my evidence to her as well.
You can check for yourself that it costs $25 to appeal a ticket in Alameda County Superior Court: http://www.alameda.courts.ca.gov/Pages.aspx/How-to-appeal-yo...
Edit: I am willing to believe that you don't necessarily see a Judge if you file an appeal, but I definitely did myself.