Mississippi Bans Traffic Cameras

[Paul_Heery]

A sudden outbreak of common sense...

Gov. Haley Barbour signed into effect a bill that prohibits the red light and speed-enforcement cameras and requires the removal of existing systems.

http://www.wdsu.com/gulfcoast/18993180/detail.html

[Dueller]

This has been a really hot issue here. About 4 months ago I took on 5 clients that were pooling their resources and hired me to mount a court challenge. They've already called me to refund their retainers.

Oh well. Bad for me. Good for our citizenry.

[Rick Lee]

I was talking with a cop buddy about this yesterday and he said the cops here hate them.....because they so often get nailed by them too. Even with lights and siren on, they're only allowed to go 15 mph over the speed limit and in some sections of the hwy., the speed limit drops from 65 to 55 with poor signage. So if they're doing 75 because they think the limit is 65 and the camera is set to flash at 11 mph over the limit, they get nailed and then hear about it from their super. Rumor is AZ is keeping them just long enough to break even on the contract and then will take them down. I think the mobile units are staying active though, but that's fine by me, since they work on radar and not ground sensors. My detector gives me plenty of warning even if I miss the "Photo Enforcement Zone" signs.

[grudk]

The red light cams are EVERYWHERE in Los Angeles. I go though several rigged intersections on my commute. I hear a single busy intersection can yield 600K in revenue annually with these, so I expect they are here to stay

[t951]

I hope once a precedent is set that it used as a point to have others challenged and removed. If it was truly about safety then it would only assign points to your license, not fees.

But EVERYONE knows the real reason. The problem is that they are backed by the insurance industry (who has deep pockets and oodles of lobbyists), and the cities that benefit.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by paul_heery

a sudden outbreak of common sense...



http://www.wdsu.com/gulfcoast/18993180/detail.html

yes!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by t951

I hope once a precedent is set that it used as a point to have others challenged and removed.

Exactly what i'm hoping too.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by t951

I hope once a precedent is set that it used as a point to have others challenged and removed. If it was truly about safety then it would only assign points to your license, not fees.

But EVERYONE knows the real reason. The problem is that they are backed by the insurance industry (who has deep pockets and oodles of lobbyists), and the cities that benefit.

Yeah, but will points on your license motivate you like a fine will. I doubt it. I can see the logic behind fining people to get them to act differently.

I'm ok with redlight cameras as long as the timing of the lights isn't changed to favor revenue. I'm not ok with speed cameras. I suspect our options ultimately are an all or none thing, so I'll go with none.

[Dueller]

The legal conundrum primarily lies in the confrontation clause of the Constitution (right to confront your accuser in a criminal matter). Tough to cross examine a camera. Cities are getting around this by calling the fines "civil penalties." That was generally the direction I was going on my court challenege.

That is until the state outlawed them yesterday.

BTW...cities have been directed to cease all fine/collection activity on past tickets. Now the folks who got popped and paid the fines are clamoring for refunds. HMMMMMMMM....new lawsuit?

[URY914]

We have them here but they are "right on red" cameras. If you don't come to a complete stop you get mailed a ticket.

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Dueller

The legal conundrum primarily lies in the confrontation clause of the Constitution (right to confront your accuser in a criminal matter). Tough to cross examine a camera. Cities are getting around this by calling the fines "civil penalties." That was generally the direction I was going on my court challenege.

That is until the state outlawed them yesterday.

BTW...cities have been directed to cease all fine/collection activity on past tickets. Now the folks who got popped and paid the fines are clamoring for refunds. HMMMMMMMM....new lawsuit?

YES!

Bro, bring that company to it's knees!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

YES!

Bro, bring that company to it's knees!

Nope. The state will simply raise taxes on everyone to make up the difference. That money is already long spent. Probably was months before it even got collected.

One way or the other, the citizen always gets the shaft.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Nope. The state will simply raise taxes on everyone to make up the difference. That money is already long spent. Probably was months before it even got collected.

One way or the other, the citizen always gets the shaft.

Probably right...interesting thing is the private company that makes/maintains cameras is actually the one that sends the bills out. As I understand it the cities do not pay a dime for the cameras and the private company gets to keep 1/2 of the monies collected.

seems to clearly be a racket for cities to up their revenues under the (disproven) guise of safety.

[Danimal16]

So for the states and cities and counties that still use these things, doesn't that mean we do not need as many traffic enforcement police officers?

[on2wheels52]

That's what I like about the South.
I don't think AR has any.
Jim

[KFC911]

We had the red light cameras, but they were removed several years ago on a technicality. As I recall, the camera vendor did it all as Dueller states, but here the vendor kept 90% and the city got 10% of the "civil fine" (as I recall), which was then supposed to go towards funding the schools per the statutes. When the courts ruled the city must be giving 100% of the whole fine to the schools, suddenly it wasn't a safety issue anymore, and poof, dey was gone. It truly wasn't a safety issue anyways...I saw many near accidents, skid marks leading up to the camera intersections, etc. and rear end accidents were conveniently excluded from the safety statistics. The cameras actually created unsafe conditions much of the time and were absolutely a "money grab", and somebody (the camera vendor mostly) made a fortune for a couple of years. Here they didn't even bother with the driver's pic...your vehicle & tag in the pic, and the owner was guilty unless he/she could prove otherwise. I received a notice in the mail for a violation (I entered the intersection .1 second after the light turned red according to the pic, and yes, the yellow light duration suddenly became VERY short). I ignored it for a couple of years as the collector (vendor) kept calling and I kept telling 'em "I'm not paying". That's been a few years ago and my credit, driving record (the citations had NO effect on that anyways), are no worse for wear.