Anyone had a red light camera ticket?

[secgator]

And if so--any odds on beating it?

[Jaggator]

Sec, slim to none as far as beating it. Let me give you good advice coming from my attorney friend. Pay it if it is on video and matches your vehicle. Why? It's much cheaper to pay the $158 fine in Jacksonville within the 30 day period. Otherwise, the fee goes to $278 after 30 days and then counts as a 3 point violation toward your license. Then it could effect your insurance rates after so many points.

My attorney said it would definitely cost you a lot more to seek legal assistance by the time you pay their fees plus the cost of the violation.

If it should ever happen to me after I get a citation in the mail, I can go on line at a designated website and it would be proof that I ran the light. At that point, I'm caught and I'd write the $158 check and mail it in. I wouldn't even think about trying to avoid paying it for the reasons I've given you.

Video does not lie and when a judge sees that he's got all the evidence on tape.

[secgator]

So you're saying I can't claim it was photo-shopped by the city huh?

[g8orbill]

Originally Posted by secgator

And if so--any odds on beating it?

zero

[CDG8tor]

There was talk of doing it in Gainesville back when Pegeen was Mayor. I told my wife if they did, I was going to pay someone to borrow her tag one night. I'd put it on my car and go run multiple red lights, then return it to her car before she knew it was gone.

CD

[StrangeGator]

Had one. Didn't think about trying to beat it. It was 1:00 am in Chicago. I'm lucky it was a camera and not an actual squad car.

[Allanon]

My daughter got one for going 32 in a school zone in St. Louis. Of course, it was 4:30 in the afternoon so it was not a school zone and it was in June and there was no school in session.

[regurgigator]

I got one for not coming to a complete stop before going right-on-red

I had thought they were just for taking still-frame photos of cars going through a red light after it had turned. But, to my surprise, they had a video and a running display of my speed as I turned that corner at a little over 10 mph.

Even though the video showed that the left turn lane next to me had the arrow and a car was turning left (i.e., so there was no way a car would have been going through the intersection from my left) and you could see there were no vehicles coming from the opposite side of the intersection (i.e., making a left turn from the opposite direction that would have potentially brought them into my lane), I figured I had no real argument under the law even though I was making a perfectly safe turn IMO given those conditions.

The fact that it didn't count as a moving violation for points and, therefore, would not be reported to my insurance company made it much more palatable.

[Jaggator]

[Jaggator]

[toon66]

Originally Posted by Jaggator

Sec, slim to none as far as beating it. Let me give you good advice coming from my attorney friend. Pay it if it is on video and matches your vehicle. Why? It's much cheaper to pay the $158 fine in Jacksonville within the 30 day period. Otherwise, the fee goes to $278 after 30 days and then counts as a 3 point violation toward your license. Then it could effect your insurance rates after so many points.

My attorney said it would definitely cost you a lot more to seek legal assistance by the time you pay their fees plus the cost of the violation.

If it should ever happen to me after I get a citation in the mail, I can go on line at a designated website and it would be proof that I ran the light. At that point, I'm caught and I'd write the $158 check and mail it in. I wouldn't even think about trying to avoid paying it for the reasons I've given you.

Video does not lie and when a judge sees that he's got all the evidence on tape.

Yep, pay the fine. Points are the greater concern anyway.

[regurgigator]

Jaggator - That's how I thought the system worked when I was wondering "How would they know if I came to a complete stop before turning right?"

The addition of video and speed detection takes the red light camera system a step further. It's just not fair anymore

[WESGATORS]

Originally Posted by secgator

And if so--any odds on beating it?

What statute is listed on the ticket?

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

[Jaggator]

Here's the only way to avoid red light and speed camera tickets. It's a very small investment to make.

You people should know me by now that I have a solution for beating the system. This is called a preventative measure to take.

http://www.phantomplate.com/

[ufhomerj31]

Welcome to your new police state.
Sad....

[secgator]

Originally Posted by WESGATORS

What statute is listed on the ticket?

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

Section 316.0083, (b) 1.a, Florida statutes

Basically, I was over in Tallahassee little over a week ago---was driving north on Capital Circle NW, turning left onto US90. Was approaching the turn lane at 20 mph or so, light was yellow for....according to the ticket...3.1 sec. If I had tried to stop, it would have been a tire locker so I just kept moving and turning left as the red light had been red for...now get this, .60 seconds. Slightly more than half a friggin second when the camera nailed me. According to their photo, my left tire was just past the white stop line when the picture was taken. One of those--"Do I slam on brakes and lock everything up?--or keep on moving like we ALL do 99.9% of the time?" moments.

I got nailed no doubt, but the slimmest of margins. My main question on beating it was if the practice had yet to be determined to be illegal or unfair or whatever, and had been overturned by the courts. I have read that it has been hotly debated in areas across the state and didn't know if I had any wiggle room in this. Doesn't sound like I do, and I would rather fork up the $158 and not have any points instead of waiting over 30 days--pay $271 and have 3 points hit against me, risking the chance of beating it.

Doesn't sound viable to wait or hope--just pay the damn thing.

Moral of the story--yet another reason to hate Tallahassee even more.

[gatorjjh]

Originally Posted by secgator

Moral of the story--yet another reason to hate Tallahassee even more.

There are lots of reasons to hate Tally but this is not high on the list, the state only got involved after municipalities and counties started the red light project as a revenue generating/safety move with no state oversight or state revenue

[GatorAvatar]

I saw a flash when I beat a red light in California while driving a rental. I sweated bullets after the incident thinking I was going to be ticketed up to $200. To my surprise, three months later rental car company charged my credit card $30. Up to now I have never received any written notification of the incident. Baffled.

[gatorknights]

I got one from those pigs in Apopka at the corner of 441 and Errol Parkway at 7 am a few months back. The video CLEARLY showed I was in the intersection when the light was still yellow, but they sent me a ticket and charged me $250 anyway. It was slightly raining and there was heavy commuter traffic. It would have been reckless and dangerous for me to slam on the brakes, and I didn't need to stop anyway. They probably ran my tag and saw I was from out of town so they figured they could help themselves to my money. I challenged and got nowhere with those buffoons. I guess all the real crime is already solved in that dump of a town so they have plenty of time to steal money from out of towners.

To answer the OP, don't waste your time challenging it, it will only raise your blood pressure. I took an online traffic school course so I didn't get any points against my license.

Bastids.

[GatorKWM]

Originally Posted by gatorknights

I got one from those pigs in Apopka at the corner of 441 and Errol Parkway at 7 am a few months back. The video CLEARLY showed I was in the intersection when the light was still yellow, but they sent me a ticket and charged me $250 anyway. It was slightly raining and there was heavy commuter traffic. It would have been reckless and dangerous for me to slam on the brakes, and I didn't need to stop anyway. They probably ran my tag and saw I was from out of town so they figured they could help themselves to my money. I challenged and got nowhere with those buffoons. I guess all the real crime is already solved in that dump of a town so they have plenty of time to steal money from out of towners.

To answer the OP, don't waste your time challenging it, it will only raise your blood pressure. I took an online traffic school course so I didn't get any points against my license.

Bastids.

Interesting. My understanding has always been that if any part of the vehicle is in the intersection before the light turn red, then you are okay. Guess I was wrong.