no breaks on trailer ticket

You'd be suprised.
When they know.
You know their little game they move on to those who don't.
I was asked once why I don't like the cmv police?
The officer said you have no real points (I have 2 points total). I just dislike dishonest lieing people and thats pretty much what they are. If you lie down for them they will only wipe their feet on you.
Anything they try to do to me I try and do back to them. If they say I done something wrong. I say they done their job wrong ( which they generally do)..
They want to hold US to these BS standards? I hold them to the same standards. Just cause they are the police means nothing once you strip what immunity they have they are just the same as anyone else.
If more would have taken my attitude csa 2010 would have never happened and safe stat would have been disaasembled. Both systems are worthless and only meant to create more rules in the end.
No one will ever meet to their satisfaction. We are talking about a system thats only purpose is to control people.
If they knew sheit from shinola the first sysytem would have worked it was never meant to work. Pull your head out of your acs and think about it.

I missed your original point inspections are supposed to be the same in ALL states done to federal specs. so a particular state would make no difference in the inspection. I have only ben to Ca. once and found I lost nothing there, so I haven't been back.
I merely stated how I would try and invalidate the particular circumstances mentioned by the original poster to get the violation and fine dismissed.
The first step is to attack the validity of the inspection and credibility and training of the officer doing them while they are busy defending
this you come up with some out of the blue and blindside them.
If it was me I'd file a motion to dismiss before court and ask for production.
With a motion to dismiss you will find out pretty much what their posistion is and production will get you some information as to where their weakness is.
The only downside is it takes time doing this and they know that so most people pay the fine and forget it.
The way I look at it if I drag one through enough BS they will think a lot harder about the next one they chose to bother.