tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post2118678104432544520..comments2023-10-26T02:05:15.270-07:00Comments on Offcenter with Ehkzu: Red light cameras -- scams or safety devices?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-84030308800462731022009-12-03T13:53:59.093-08:002009-12-03T13:53:59.093-08:00I took the point. As I said in my comment to smg (...I took the point. As I said in my comment to smg (Sarah Michelle Gellar?), no traffic commissioner will risk his or her sweet gig with a dismissal that would force the city to refund hundres of fines. <br /><br />They'll only find you not guilty if the photo doesn't clearly show your face, basically.<br /><br />Otherwise the only way to win is to appeal up to the next level--which won't work unless you hire a lawyer.<br /><br />If you want to review lots and lots of information about red light camera scams, here's a huge website devoted to the topic:<br /><br />http://www.highwayrobbery.net/<br /><br />It's centered on California drivers, but much/most is applicable to other states.<br /><br />What we really need is a class action lawsuit against cities that using this modern version of the speed trap.Ehkzuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17090000685352164879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-32929555223699597332009-12-03T12:08:09.093-08:002009-12-03T12:08:09.093-08:00sorry i'm a bit confused - so did you get off ...sorry i'm a bit confused - so did you get off (as in your case was dismissed and you got your bail back and no point on your record) or did you have to pay up and either go to traffic school or take the point? <br /><br />i just got the same ticket!! so thank you for any advice.the petit gourmandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00924292068610101543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-13448788308991993722009-11-03T15:24:52.000-08:002009-11-03T15:24:52.000-08:00Of course my argument was summarily dismissed. Her...Of course my argument was summarily dismissed. Here's the reality:<br /><br />You can get off if you can show that the person in the photo isn't for sure you. <br /><br />You can not get off if you letting you off requires paying back all the fines collected by that city since it started using red light cameras. <br /><br />That's what would have had to have happened in my case, since I challenged the legality of the camera contract, not the particularities of my ticket.<br /><br />The person who sees your case isn't going to be a judge. It's a "traffic commissioner"--an employee of the city. <br /><br />Now someone in San Mateo, a few miles north of me, just got his case dismissed on the exact grounds I used. But this only happened because he hired a lawyer and took it to an appeals court with a real judge. <br /><br />But the judge refused to publish the decision, so it can't be used as a precedent.<br /><br />There's a huge scandal brewing about the huge number of unpublished decisions being made in all sorts of cases in California courts. <br /><br />So I'm waiting for someone willing to take a contract-challenging case to appeal and getting a published opinion that will force all Calfornia cities with illegal contracts (there are dozens of them) to disgorge their ill-gotten gains. <br /><br />But as you can imagine that would represent a whole lotta money, and the cities are lobbying the judiciary system and the state legislature long and hard to try to keep this from happening.<br /><br />BTW I plan to try to get people to refer to the devices as "yellow light cameras" because that's what they're actually based on. Calling them "red light cameras" is part of the propaganda being promulgated to justify this particular taxpayer ripoff.Ehkzuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17090000685352164879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957366923512814537.post-46315332616666866772009-11-03T14:16:38.202-08:002009-11-03T14:16:38.202-08:00I am on the edge of my seat wondering what happene...I am on the edge of my seat wondering what happened to your red light ticket? Can you tell me or point to the blog where you may have done so already. I was very impressed with your court presentation!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com