http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/03/...rules.html

Quote:A small Ohio town that lived by the red light camera could soon die by it, after a federal court ruled the speed trap has to pay back more than $3 million in automated speeding tickets.

The case of New Miami, population 2,321, highlights the controversy behind the tickets, which make stoplight-running motorists see red, but help keep the budgets of cities and towns in the black. New Miami will almost certainly go bankrupt if the Supreme Court doesn’t reverse a lower court’s ruling and spare it from refunding tens of thousands of tickets at $180 apiece plus interest.

“The village enacted this unconstitutional scheme primarily as a money making venture,” Josh Engel, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs in the New Miami case, told Fox News. “They increased their spending significantly after the scheme was put in place and it was basically used to fill holes in their budget that would traditionally have come from raising taxes.”

Quote:But a slew of recent corruption cases across the country involving local government officials and companies selling the cameras is not helping the image of them as moneymakers for municipalities.

In Chicago, camera vendor Redflex won in 2003 a $120 million contract to install 384 cameras and collected more than $400 million in traffic fines. It was eventually revealed that Redflex bribed Chicago City hall manager John Bills with $2,000 for every camera installed as well as giving him vacations, a condominium in Arizona and Mercedes among other favors.

Bills was eventually sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in a corruption scandal that rocked the city, while two Redflex higher-ups were sent to jail and the company was forced to pay $20 million to the city to settle a lawsuit.

Redflex did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

In Ohio, New Miami will have to wait to see if the state’s Supreme Court decides to take a look at their plea – something it only does with roughly seven percent of cases filed annually. Engel, the plaintiff’s lawyer, says he believes that going to the state’s highest court is just another move by the village to delay making their payments.

“The village is well aware that the chances of the Supreme Court deciding to hear this issue is slim. So why are they pursuing this Hail Mary?” Engel told the Journal-News. “This is another stalling tactic to further delay having to pay back the money taken from motorists in an unconstitutional scheme.”

Personally, I hope they have to pay them back.

You can't face your accuser.

It might not have been you driving (spouse, child, extended family, friend, thief).

In Memphis I think they don't report the ticket to your insurance for the reason immediately above.

Oh, and regarding my personal experience, I think they could pose a safety issue. There have been times when the light turned yellow as I was approaching. Where I used to continue through the intersection I've had to make a snap decision as to whether or not to slam on the brakes to avoid being in the intersection when the light turns red and the camera snaps the pic.

Hard to feel sorry for them. Not a fan of those types of cameras.

I hope they go bankrupt. Serves them right.

South Carolina made them illegal except in emergency situations as declared by the Governor or President and the ticket has to be delivered in person by a law enforcement officer within one hour of being taken, so essentially they are completely forbidden.

The Town of Ridgeland on I95 had started using them in violation of an Attorney General's ruling prohibiting them. They set theirs up on the part of I95 they annexed to generate revenue. When the company that worked with Ridgeland contacted one of the towns near here trying to recruit them their Chief of Police told them that the second they entered in an agreement he and his entire police force would tender their resignations because they were public safety officials not revenue generators. The town declined to install the cameras.

In Wilmington, NC they are issued by a private company. You have to pay the fine in order to have the right to appeal with the private company

I got a ticket for speeding. No proof I was speeding just a picture of the back of my car. I threw it away.

(03-14-2018 02:50 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I hope they go bankrupt. Serves them right.

I hope they go bankrupt, give the police cars to orphanages, salt the earth to nothing can ever live their again, and put up deadly spikes as warnings for future generations.

(03-14-2018 03:09 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 02:50 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I hope they go bankrupt. Serves them right.

I hope they go bankrupt, give the police cars to orphanages, salt the earth to nothing can ever live their again, and put up deadly spikes as warnings for future generations.

Another good option.

I hope my town gets rid of them too, but I'm not optimistic. It was apparent pretty quickly that they are money-generators, and have little to do with safety.

I think those damn things are dangerous, people slowing down and hesitating trying not to get a ticket. I hate em.

A local Radio host in Cincy is responsible for this and taking down another town. He highlighted their BS years ago and a law passed making it illegal to do these types of speed traps. Then parts of the law were ruled unconstitutional.
Multiple towns made almost all of their revenue off of speed traps with cameras.

(03-14-2018 02:42 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  Personally, I hope they have to pay them back.

You can't face your accuser.

It might not have been you driving (spouse, child, extended family, friend, thief).

In Memphis I think they don't report the ticket to your insurance for the reason immediately above.

Oh, and regarding my personal experience, I think they could pose a safety issue. There have been times when the light turned yellow as I was approaching. Where I used to continue through the intersection I've had to make a snap decision as to whether or not to slam on the brakes to avoid being in the intersection when the light turns red and the camera snaps the pic.

I agree for all the reasons above. They should settle this, hope for the best and remove those damn cameras. They should also not been so transparently stupid as a Yankme to drop $3.000.000 in fines at $180 a pop. That's an enormous amount of tickets for a town of 2300 folks, THEN start spending that budget money so blatantly and no doubt insisting what they were doing was for the "Public Good" or "in their interest",


You're definitely right about the increase in accidents, there have been studies on that.

Also right about it not going to insurance in many places/cases. We just to pay one of these, addressed to my wife, for my Son. He had his car at School and was off campus for the first time, He had NO idea these things even existed, and was, of course, in D.C. going to pick up his GF.

We get the damn thing in the mail, I'm thinking Oh no. DC Po-po, neither of us have been up there recently, WTF is THIS gonna be about?!?

Well, it was 40 bucks, no points anywhere, not even reported and he basically said Oh, wow. That's what that flash was that night. Wondered about that at the time,
So he did it.

Annoying but not the end of the world. I DO hope they lose this case, so other localities and municipalities will think twice about installing them, even begin sending them to the landfill.
Just effing obnoxious.

Educate me. Are people upset they got caught speeding or upset at the way the $$ is being utilized, etc???

(03-14-2018 03:57 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 02:42 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  Personally, I hope they have to pay them back.

You can't face your accuser.

It might not have been you driving (spouse, child, extended family, friend, thief).

In Memphis I think they don't report the ticket to your insurance for the reason immediately above.

Oh, and regarding my personal experience, I think they could pose a safety issue. There have been times when the light turned yellow as I was approaching. Where I used to continue through the intersection I've had to make a snap decision as to whether or not to slam on the brakes to avoid being in the intersection when the light turns red and the camera snaps the pic.

I agree for all the reasons above. They should settle this, hope for the best and remove those damn cameras. They should also not been so transparently stupid as a Yankme to drop $3.000.000 in fines at $180 pop, That's an enormous amount of tickets for a town of 2300 folks, THEN start spending that budget money so blatantly and no doubt insisting what they were doing was for the "Public Good" or "in their interest",


You're definitely right about the increase in accidents, there have been studies on that.

Also right about it not going to insurance in many places/cases. We just to pay one of these, addressed to my wife, for my Son, He had his car at School and was off campus for the first time, He had NO idea these things even existed, and was, of course, in D.C. going to pick up his GF.

We get the damn thing in the mail, I{'m thinking Oh no. DC Po-po, neither of us have been up there recently, WTFis THIS gonna be about?!?

Well, it was 40 bucks, no points anywhere, not even reported and he basically said Oh, wow. That's what that flash was that night. Wondered about that at the time,
So he did it.

Annoying but not the end of the world. I DO hope they lose this case, so other localities and municipalities will think twice about installing them, even begin sending them to the landfill. Just effing obnoxious.

My girlfriend just got a $100 fine from a speed camera in DC. She said the camera was installed alongside a highway onramp and it caught her while she was accelerating to meet the speed of the highway.

Makes me wonder why stuff like this doesn’t happen more often:

Quote:WASHINGTON (ABC7) — A number of speed cameras were vandalized overnight in D.C., according to authorities.

D.C. police say that at least two cameras were knocked over in the 800 block of Eastern Avenue, NE. Officers say other cameras were damaged in the area of Kenilworth Avenue and Benning Road. Police say at least four cameras were damaged or destroyed on about a one-and-a-half-mile stretch in D.C. Some even had wiring and other equipment ripped out of them.

http://wjla.com/news/local/multiple-dc-s...police-say

If I slow down to about 1mph while turning right on red, creeping forward so I can see around other cars to see if it's safe to go - and then going without then coming to a complete stop, I don't think that should result in a ticket. Certainly, if a cop had been there, he would not have given me a ticket for that - not even a Naperville cop would do that.

(03-14-2018 04:00 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Educate me. Are people upset they got caught speeding or upset at the way the $$ is being utilized, etc???

Yes.

(03-14-2018 04:00 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Educate me. Are people upset they got caught speeding or upset at the way the $$ is being utilized, etc???

One hypothetical:

You're doing mulching or something and I lend you my truck for the weekend.

You roll out, pile up 10 of these at $180 each in a busy weekend then just drop the truck off.

Guess who's on the hook or face a warrants, or worse. That and the accident risk spelled above.

(03-14-2018 04:11 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 04:00 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Educate me. Are people upset they got caught speeding or upset at the way the $$ is being utilized, etc???

One hypothetical:

You're doing mulching or something and I lend you my truck for the weekend.

You roll out, pile up 10 of these at $180 each in a busy weekend then just drop the truck off.

Guess who's on the hook or face a warrants, or worse. That and the accident risk spelled above.

Thanks.

Virginia allows these cameras. I did a little research and if the registered owner wasn't driving all he/she has to do is fill out an affidavit saying so or show up to court and testify to the same and they likely beat the ticket. The max fine in VA is $50 , treated as a civil case and tickets do not go against the person's driver license so no insurance increase.

(03-14-2018 04:14 PM)VA49er Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 04:11 PM)JMUDunk Wrote:  

(03-14-2018 04:00 PM)VA49er Wrote:  Educate me. Are people upset they got caught speeding or upset at the way the $$ is being utilized, etc???

One hypothetical:

You're doing mulching or something and I lend you my truck for the weekend.

You roll out, pile up 10 of these at $180 each in a busy weekend then just drop the truck off.

Guess who's on the hook or face a warrants, or worse. That and the accident risk spelled above.

Thanks.

Virginia allows these cameras. I did a little research and if the registered owner wasn't driving all he/she has to do is fill out an affidavit saying so or show up to court and testify to the same and they likely beat the ticket. The max fine in VA is $50 , treated as a civil case and tickets do not go against the person's driver license so no insurance increase.

When do I face my accuser, the camera? So, you borrow my truck, rack up a bunch of these tickets and leave for vacation, and I gotta drive from SouthSide Richmond to Loudon or Fearfax, take an unpaid day off work, and HOPE I beat the tickets. You see how insidious that is?

By the time I figure out the fines (in this hypothetical, $500 bucks) vs entire day off, gas, wear on car etc. and the frustration of the obligatory jam ups on 95, perhaps spending the entire day in a boring Courtroom and STILL have a chance of losing the cases, what do you think most people are going to do?

They'll likely just pay them and the revenuers know that. Not to mention we're further jamming up[ our over burdened Courts with a bunch more needless crap cases. How about the Courts deal with crimes, not malfunctioning cameras?

My daughter had a broviac line that was basically an iv to her heart. It was tearing and I got popped for 250 dollars for going 48 mph in a 25 mph zone at 3 am. Not another car on the street and it was a life or death situation. Had 4 doctor notes explains the brevity of the situation accompanying my complaint on the ticket. The chopped off 50 bucks. What a fiasco those red light cameras are.