Alpinam3

I got a red light camera ticket. San Fernando Valley going north on Canoga at Vanowen. Ticket said I failed to stop at a right hand turn. Actually I stopped then turned right and proceed through the red light.

I am going to try to fight it by postponing as long as possible. There is name of an officer on the ticket but I think that is generic. I am going to say in my defense that I stopped and then made the right turn but it may incriminate me to another offence by saying that. They can't prove I did not and I have to right to face my accuser in court.

Any advice?

flynryan

I thought they got rid of those?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...yRRQaRnEceGWrA

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

When Phoenix had speed camera on the FWs, I got over a dozen tickets. My understanding of the law was, that the tickets have to be presented to you, and they are not lawful until they are. Process Servers came to the door, and I didn't answer it. I followed the progress for each ticket in the court system with my computer, and within three months they all went away.

Lou

Mrfix

In Texas they typically have you on video and not just a picture. So what will happen is they will play the video in court in front of you and ask you if you're sure you stopped while you watch your car go right through.

I have heard of fire trucks and ambulances and cops getting them and still having to pay the fine. It's a private company that runs the program for most cities.

808newbie

yikes. glad we dont have these in hawaii

Tungstn-IS

Yeah, all the ones I've seen take pictures and video. They will nail you to the wall on it even if you did stop, but just beyond the white line.

iJDMTOY

iTrader: (5)

Wow that's scary. I know in Europe they have red light cams too that ticket you right away by mail haha

mjeds

Chances are there will be video, and if you didn't come to a full and complete stop behind the line/crosswalk, you tripped the sensor.. in that case you won't beat it.. your best bet is to see if you can get the video and review it before making a decision. if in fact you did roll through it, you might consider traffic school.

My mom had one of these a few years back in Cerritos, and she tried to fight it, and the video did show that she never actually came to a full stop BEFORE the crosswalk, she did stop, but like most of us, she did so in the crosswalk half way through her turn. Judge found her guilty as the law does require you to come to a full and complete stop before the crosswalk.



The City of L.A. Did, which also includes county areas (unincorporated L.A. County) but that doesn't affect other cities within the county, only in the actual city of L.A.

There are lots of inner cities, Cerritos, Lakewood, San Fernando, Pomona, Van Nuys, etc. that still use them, they are their own municipalities and they do not answer to L.A. County, they have their own Police departments and City Services, some may even have their own court systems and others use the L.A. County Courts.

The only one that will be thrown out are red light tickets issued within the City of Los Angeles limits by the L.A.P.D. and I believe that those cameras have all but been removed since the change in 2012.

Solara350

won't win, just pay, i got red light camera ticket before, stupid private company and nothing we can do.

Alpinam3

Thanks every one. The really scary thing is this is $490 ticket! When it comes down to it we are just profit generating machines to the City and State. They don't care if they take food out of your mouth it's just money to them. These exorbitant fines were supposed to come down to where they used to be when they got out of budget problems but this State is money hungry.

Bichon

Don't forget the for-profit company that owns and operates the red-light cameras in exchange for a cut of the ticket revenue. NJ experimented with these in a handful of locations, but ultimately decided to do away with them. Fortunately the Waze navigation app on my phone warns as you approach a red-light or speed enforcement camera, so I have no first-hand experience.

mjeds

actually your fine is only about $200. CA tacks on a 210% penalty assessment tax and a $25 processing fee. you can actually ask for the breakdown if you want.

the overall fines did come down in 2012, but it was offset with a raise in the "taxes" from 170% to 210% and an addition of a processing fee.

See the moron voters in CA voted in the penalty assessment tax back in the 1980s, they failed to read the fine print of the proposal that allows the State to increase the taxes as needed to "offset" the rising costs of the court system. They also failed to stop a bill in the 1990s that allows the State to create "fees" as needed to offset the rising costs of State services.

By calling them fees instead of taxes they can tack on additional money to each ticket, because "we the people" voted for it.. Because "we the people" don't actually read the propositions we vote on, we just read the title.

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

IDK if its different there, but all traffic light cameras and speed vans out here in NM are privately run. I got a ticket in the mail once. I ignored it, it's not illegal out here, its just a private organization. They never bothered me about it, its been years.