Posted on 05/21/2012 12:06:09 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
Here you'll be able to pay a ticket, view how your traffic violation took place, and find answers...
(Excerpt) Read more at violationinfo.com ...
I believe the giant truck in front of me blocked my view--and by the time the light turned red, I was already "committed" to going through.
I have read about how these things are being ruled constitutional/unconstitutional...any info?
I did call one of those "traffic" attorneys. They said right now my "violation" is not a criminal offense--and I have the choice to pay or NOT pay the fine ($158).
If I pay the fine, nothing goes on my license, etc.
If I choose NOT to pay the fine, then it goes to a "criminal" accusation, the fine approaches $300, and ONLY THEN will this lawyer defend me....but in that case, the lawyer says, my license is noted that I received a ticket, etc.
I guess my primary question is: what would you do if it were you? A secondary question: if I want to fight this without letting it go to the criminal step, what do I do?
:: I believe the giant truck in front of me blocked my view—and by the time the light turned red, I was already “committed” to going through. ::
Careful with this one, although unlikely, the constabulary could issue a citation for “following too close” (causing you to show up in court to refute it).
From the video, can they tell whether it was YOU driving? Could someone else have been driving your car? If so, how can they give YOU a ticket for it?
Go scofflaw unless you live in Florida.
Revenue enhancement not traffic enforcement.
Same exact scenario happened to me. Just pay it — if you were going fast enough and close enough to the truck that you couldn’t see the light change, that’s not a valid excuse for running the red.
Just as an FYI, red light cameras were here in Albuquerque and people were not paying them and the city is issuing warrants for arrest.
I would not take the argument up that the truck blocked your view because as a driver behind someone it’s your responsiblity to make sure you can see. If that means you need to move back further or slow down, that’s your responsibility. I think you could be in further trouble with this argument.
I’d pay the $158 and call it a lesson learned. Why would you want it to go to $300 so you can have an attorney deal with it? You’d then have a citation noted on your driving record. Better to be done with it IMHO.
Friend of mine got one of these in central FL. Same Arizona firm, same fine. He works for me and we have a common friend that is a LEO so we talked to him regarding a simple name change. My employee’s wife was the offender but as she was driving his car, the citation was issued in his name. Our LEO buddy informed him of exactly the same info you received from the ticket lawyer. His advice was to pay the ticket and don’t violate the red light laws. My friend’s wife would have been rear-ended by a semi if she had stopped.
I’d add it’s not all that smart to tag along closely to another vehicle especially if you’re going too fast to stop. Besides the possibility of the other vehicle stopping short in front of you, it could also dodge an obstacle (another stopped vehicle, a pedestrian, or an object in the street that does not belong) at the last second leaving you to hit that obstacle. That’s how my truck ended up hitting a stopped SUV, fortunately not injuring anything animate but forcing my insurance rates up. I don’t particularly care for the anonymity of red light cameras with their mail tickets, as they typically don’t capture the larger traffic context — but in this case it looks like it caught an actual traffic peccadillo. Be more careful next time.
Pay the fine. Cameras have been vetted through many court systems. Your defense will only garner a careless driving charge.
A great many judges will throw out the case based upon that one question.
But to me, you ran a red light, you got caught, just be glad it was a camera and not another car or a police officer involved.
One other thing, get a Cobra XRS 9965.
Politically they have met lots of opposition and for this reason been abandoned by many a municipality, and not every state’s legal system has bought them either. But it appears from the description of what transpired that this would not be the hill to die upon.
The best way to fight a red light camera is to stay away from it. As far as “fighting” the ticket goes,just save yourself a lot of time and trouble and go ahead and pay it. These red light cameras are nothing more than revenue collectors.
That is true. In this case it would seem the court has given the “Green Light” for this revenue stream.
As far as telling the court you couldn’t see the light because of a truck in front of you is inviting more charges.
Eventually, your community will tire of those things and vote in politicians who will make them go away, as has happened in many communities across this formerly great nation.
I guess my primary question is: what would you do if it were you?
Don’t follow trucks so close.
It’s always the Anarchists vs. the Good Germans on these threads.
I thought I had an excuse and went to court the judge told me the photo was conclusive and fined me double what the original ticket would have cost and I got moving violation points on my license to boot. Pay it now. If you ignore it they will suspend your license most states are reciprocal even if yours is not if you get stopped for anything in Fl after your license is suspended here you will be going to county jail.
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