Red Light Photo Ticket....LEO reply only

[Kid Colt]

I got my picture taken a few days ago for a red light violation. I got the letter in the mail today, My question is since it was not sent certified mail nor did i or anybody else sign for it, how can the court system prove i ever received it? Further more if I ignore to pay it how can they prove I knew anything about it? I've been told that alot of these tickets are sent with the expectation that the violator will admit fault and pay the ticket, but if the violator doesn't respond they can't do anything about it i.e. suspend my license or worse.

[Matt C]

My question is since it was not sent certified mail nor did i or anybody else sign for it, how can the court system prove i ever received it?

The company (most of these cameras are managed by private third parties) that sent you the ticket likely keeps a log including the employee who mailed the citation and the Date/Time. That is evidence, of course you could testify at some point after the penalties start occurring and you can't ignore the issue anymore that you did not receive it, which would be perjury... Assuming you did that and the judge believed you would be in the exact same position as you are now, you are either guilty or not and the judge will decide, or you can simply pay the bail. You already admitted it was you so why make things more difficult for yourself? Do you really think if you ignore it, it will just go away?

[tyrist]

I got my picture taken a few days ago for a red light violation. I got the letter in the mail today, My question is since it was not sent certified mail nor did i or anybody else sign for it, how can the court system prove i ever received it? Further more if I ignore to pay it how can they prove I knew anything about it? I've been told that alot of these tickets are sent with the expectation that the violator will admit fault and pay the ticket, but if the violator doesn't respond they can't do anything about it i.e. suspend my license or worse.

For your convenience they will just place a hold on your vehicle registration.

[Jonathan Doe]

And, if you decide to fight it, you may be just wasting you time. I have never seen a person win the case whenever I was monitoring the traffic trials.

[PonchoTA]

And, if you decide to fight it, you may be just wasting you time. I have never seen a person win the case whenever I was monitoring the traffic trials.

I just won my case on two traffic speed cameras here in Tucson! Same stretch of road: one northbound, then the other southbound 3 days later.

My speed 'recorded' was 56mph in a 45mph zone. They routinely do not give tickets until more than 10 mph over the limit here. Since I was doing 11 mph over (they say), and by their own admission the margin of error was +/- 1 mph, and if you figure my cars' possible margin of error being about the same, the judge had to toss it!!

Both of them!




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[tacticalcity]

One word...BOHICA!

[Jonathan Doe]

Red light ticket and speeding tickets may be different things.

I just won my case on two traffic speed cameras here in Tucson! Same stretch of road: one northbound, then the other southbound 3 days later.

My speed 'recorded' was 56mph in a 45mph zone. They routinely do not give tickets until more than 10 mph over the limit here. Since I was doing 11 mph over (they say), and by their own admission the margin of error was +/- 1 mph, and if you figure my cars' possible margin of error being about the same, the judge had to toss it!!

Both of them!




.

[GlockBlocker]

do you get the option for trial by written declaration on camera tickets? just wondering.

[AAShooter]

I am very concerned that a non-LEO may have replied.

[BigDogatPlay]

There is currently a brouhahah going in LA City over the cameras.... which apparently cost more to maintain than they are bringing in.

Link

And the court in LA is being spotty about reporting to DMV.

[Kid Colt]

Thanks for all the replies. I hope they were all LEO's!!!! Anyways I was planning on paying the bail, the whole $540, but I was just curious as to how "official" these things are or may not be.

[cindynles]

For your convenience they will just place a hold on your vehicle registration.

There was just a big story on the LA news that the courts are refusing to enforce these tickets (LA has something like 54,000 outstanding). They can't get anyone to pay because there are no points being put on the DL.

<Snip>Police blame Los Angeles County Superior Court for not aggressively going after drivers who were cited for running a red light or making right turns on a red light. Department officials said they urged the court to notify the state Department of Motor Vehicles to place a hold on the drivers licenses of violators who fail to pay their tickets, but the court has refused to intervene.<Snip>

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/12/14/2197540/officials-approve-continuing-la.html

[Roccobro]

Check the mailed "ticket" very carefully. If it is from a third party trying to collect fees, you need to do some more investigating.

However if it has a court date, agency, etc., you have many more option than just paying such a huge chunk of change to fix the problem.

Justin

[tacticalcity]

The red light ticket I got last April was reported to the DMV. Insurance rates went up. A real life police officer watching would have known it happened because the drive infront of me suddenly and unexpectedly tapped on his brakes while in the middle of the intersection, and then went. The driver behind me was also closing in on me and did not see me hit my breaks. Safest move was to go. The light was after all yellow, and turned read just a foot before I crossed the line. Basically, Murphy's Law screwed me. Got the ticket 2 hours from where I work, and could not take time off work to fight it ona 50/50 chance a judge in a county in need of funds (the town is dying adn desperately needs any source of income to survive and the county is not doing much better) would be fair. Lost income in addition to the ticket would have hurt that much more.

Definately time to yell BOHICA!

[retired]

The OP requested that leos only reply, so please let that be what occurs. Thanks.