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Red light camera

O

Oatmeal

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Cedar City, UT
The Mrs just got a red light camera ticket in the mail today. It shows her making a right turn against a red light. She swears (of course) that she made a complete stop before continuing but, she might have made a "California stop" (can't tell from the pictures) still...........$381!(?) It's not like she totally blew through the light. Anybody have any luck beating one of these or at the least, having the fine reduced to some sane amount. Any helpful suggestions appreciated because, it's coming out of my pocket!........It is a really nice picture of my Jeep, though:D--------Hans
 
I don't know if it's possible for a camera to know if a vehicle has come to a complete stop or not.

There is a camera intersection at 19th and Newport here in Costa Mesa. For westbound 19th St. traffic, there are NO RIGHT TURN ON RED LIGHT signs if you want to turn north on Newport.

When people turn right on a red, it will trigger the camera. So at the intersection where your wife got the ticket, are there right turns allowed on red?
 
I got one in the mail once too. If you look at it close, it may come from somewhere out of state (Arizona). I did some research on the internet and found that these things are through a private company and the violation and fine is not all together leagally binding if it is from a private party, which mine was. Another way to tell if it is legit is that it should have an official court docket number.

Apparently, what they do is send out these notices and try to get you to verify that it was indeed you and then they turn it over to the authorities.

Long story short, I never replied to it. I have been through 2 background checks since, one with the California Dept of Corrections, and nothing turned up. I suggest you do a little research on your own before you respond to the notice.
 
FIGHT IT Hans!!! If you have the time and want to deal with it, fight it.....if not, ask for traffic school, and hold it against your wife for the next wheeling trip you want to take....
 
In California, you stand a better chance of fighting a ticket via the mail. How clear is the picture of her driving? Is it a real ticket? No right turns on Red sign? etc.. Whatever you do, don't show up in person, you're automatically guilty. The photo cameras are on very shakey ground. In San Diego they were turned off for a while after it was shown the private company running them had turned down the duration of the yellow, etc. It's all a money grab by your local and state government. Stand your ground and she can get off.
If the light is legit, and you can find a PDF of the california highway manual that tells durations of lights and stuff, then just mail in a letter with it saying that it's not her driving. :)
 
Just pay it Hans. I had a friend get one in my car. I went down to Santa Ana PD and they offered to pull the video of it. All you will see is her not stop completely. The photo that I got of my friend showed his speed traveling too. They can tell if you didn't stop.
 
also if you notice they have the time on the ticket by the seconds so they know by that also if you stopped. Point by point it takes so many seconds. I got the same ticket same thing, 300 and some dollars only paid $70. The judge was freakin cool as hell, he would say ok if you can tell me snoop doggs real first name you will only pay $10. He made one chick sing a rhianna song and she didnt pay shit. If you go see the judge almost all the time he knocks it down half, and if your lucky you might get it even cheaper than that ...good luck
 
silverslk said:
Dude, I think you were on American Idol not traffic court!!! haha


Thats awesome.....let me guess.......909??? haha
Click to expand...


LMAO yep Andy, Rancho Cucamonga Court gotto love it !!!!
 
silverslk said:
Just pay it Hans. I had a friend get one in my car. I went down to Santa Ana PD and they offered to pull the video of it. All you will see is her not stop completely. The photo that I got of my friend showed his speed traveling too. They can tell if you didn't stop.
Click to expand...
x2

You won't beat the court system with BS and they DO HAVE VIDEO of the incident. They only send a pic in the mail because its convenient. If you really believe she made a stop before she turned, go down and have them pull the tape for you.
 
Oh yeah, might be worth the time to go to court....just to beg for mercy. Quite commonly they knock the ticket down considerably.


And how does showing up to court prove guilt???? I have beat more than one ticket by going to court (it helps to be innocent though) :D
 
JohnX said:
Oh yeah, might be worth the time to go to court....just to beg for mercy. Quite commonly they knock the ticket down considerably.


And how does showing up to court prove guilt???? I have beat more than one ticket by going to court (it helps to be innocent though) :D
Click to expand...

Knocked down vs dismissed? We don't even know if it's a ticket, or a "Snitch Ticket" to fish out who was driving the vehicle. California is a "driver responsibility state" So they have to issue the ticket to the driver. If I got the snitch ticket, I'd mail back a copy of the 5th amendment with it. :)

Red light cameras are about generating revenue, and they'll minimize the times on the yellow, start the camera quickly after, etc. If you start looking at red light photos on that one site, you'll see that the accidents come SECONDS after the red, not tenths. The Dakota I totaled entered the intersection a couple seconds after the light changed, there was nothing I could do but T bone the moron. Totaled the Dodge, bent my bumper around the tow hooks, and let me get a winch, AJ bumper, and a shiny welder out of the deal. :)

I hate shady enforcement of laws. You stand a better chance if it is an actual ticket of fighting it by mail.

Oh, the second from the bottom one brings back memories... 9.2 seconds of red light before that car entered.

http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamsdocsIndustryPRMain.html
 
Last edited:
No officer saw the violation. Fight it on that.

Fight by mail first then request a new trial in person if you lose.
 
To quote George Carlin. "Cop didn't see it, I didn't do it." :)
 
markw said:
To quote George Carlin. "Cop didn't see it, I didn't do it." :)
Click to expand...
Good luck with that. In SB county, they have a cop for most departments thats primary job is to watch the video, and say they saw it (which they did after the viewing). You yourself said its about making money, the cities however are not the one making as much as you think. The camera company is the one making the big bucks, but the city still gets enough of a cut to make it worth their time to have the tickets stick.
 
Spend some time in the CA vehicle code, there are sections that allow red light cameras and other automated ticket machines(toll booths) and excempts these citations from having an "officer present".

Fight the ticket if you know specifically what the violation was and what really happened. Just be prepared, read the vehicle code, know what applies. And if you want a standing chance, do not mention any of those ticket web sites in court. Ask any judge or cop about those web sites and they'll laugh at you. :hang:

If you cannot get it dismissed, try traffic school(if you qualify) and getting the fine reduced.

Good luck!
 
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