CA: Cops, Courts Eyeballing Legality of RLCs

[swarga]

Cops, courts eyeballing legality of red-light cameras | red, light, court - News - The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA – A recent court decision might have dealt a serious blow against red-light camera citations in the county, but law enforcement agencies say don't rule out the cameras yet.

On an appeal of a 2008 red-light ticket, an appellate panel of Orange County Superior Court judges recently ruled that photos and video submitted by police were inadmissible as evidence. Instead, the appeal panel agreed with the defense that the photo and video were hearsay because no officer actually saw the driver run the red light, and the company that maintains the cameras did not testify in the case.

The decision not only repealed the nearly $500 citation, but has sent local agencies scrambling to review what this means to red-light citations that will be fought in court.

[...]

[Obsidian]

Cops, courts eyeballing legality of red-light cameras | red, light, court - News - The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA – A recent court decision might have dealt a serious blow against red-light camera citations in the county, but law enforcement agencies say don't rule out the cameras yet.

On an appeal of a 2008 red-light ticket, an appellate panel of Orange County Superior Court judges recently ruled that photos and video submitted by police were inadmissible as evidence. Instead, the appeal panel agreed with the defense that the photo and video were hearsay because no officer actually saw the driver run the red light, and the company that maintains the cameras did not testify in the case.

The decision not only repealed the nearly $500 citation, but has sent local agencies scrambling to review what this means to red-light citations that will be fought in court.

[...]

The fact that the decision is published is pretty awesome.

It finally seems people are fighting back against these BS revenue generators instead of bending over like sheep.

[OpenRoad]

Cops, courts eyeballing legality of red-light cameras | red, light, court - News - The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA – A recent court decision might have dealt a serious blow against red-light camera citations in the county, but law enforcement agencies say don't rule out the cameras yet.

On an appeal of a 2008 red-light ticket, an appellate panel of Orange County Superior Court judges recently ruled that photos and video submitted by police were inadmissible as evidence. Instead, the appeal panel agreed with the defense that the photo and video were hearsay because no officer actually saw the driver run the red light, and the company that maintains the cameras did not testify in the case.

The decision not only repealed the nearly $500 citation, but has sent local agencies scrambling to review what this means to red-light citations that will be fought in court.

[...]

The fact that the decision is published is pretty awesome.

It finally seems people are fighting back against these BS revenue generators instead of bending over like sheep.

Yeah, I had "flash backs" the other day when I went past a nuisance red light camera in Capitola, California in Santa Cruz County that cost me over $400. A nice "donation" to the city of Capitola.

[155mph]

the appeal panel agreed with the defense that the photo and video were hearsay because no officer actually saw the driver run the red light, and the company that maintains the cameras did not testify in the case.

That's brilliant!

[RedLight]

Big Picture: Some people are exempt from the tickets!

An article ("Special License Plates Shield Officials from Traffic Tickets") said that "...in California there are nearly one million PRIVATE vehicles having 'confidential' license plate numbers that are protected from easy or efficient look up, thus are effectively invisible to agencies attempting to process parking, toll, and red light camera violations." (Register, 4-4-08.) That "protected" list includes politicians - even local ones - bureaucrats, retired cops, govt. employees, and their families! Plus such oddities as veterinarians and museum guards. (Other states have such lists, too.)

Now there is a bill (AB 2097) in Sacramento to change things so that those guys will receive the tickets they are due. It is unwelcome among the politicians in the Capitol, so will die without heavy public support. I urge everyone to call their legislators (in Sacramento and every other state capitol) and the AAA. Otherwise, the bureaucrats will keep laughing at us as we pay our $500 fines. (That's not a typo, the fine in CA is five hundred dollars.)