Speed Camera News MD County Judge PROTECTS ERROR PLAGUED SPEED SCAMERA. AAA BLAST SCAMERA COMPANY Handpicking Judge!
MD County Judge PROTECTS ERROR PLAGUED SPEED SCAMERA. AAA BLAST SCAMERA COMPANY Handpicking Judge!
Read More on Optotraffic SCAMERA ERRORS HERE: http://www.stopbigbrothermd.org/2011/08/optotraffic-local-governments-circle.html
County judge deems city speed cameras lawful
Motorist prepares to challenge once again
By Jim Bach
Published: Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 21:08
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Legality of city speed camera questioned http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/legality-of-city-speed-camera-questioned-1.2548585
Although a Prince George's County judge deemed five city speed cameras as operating accurately, AAA Mid-Atlantic officials and local motorists are still questioning their legality and calling them speed traps.
Will Foreman, owner of Eastover Auto Supply in Oxon Hill, said his company's drivers received more than 60 fines from five cameras around College Park, costing the business about $2,400 in fees — even though he says they weren't speeding.
On Aug. 19, Foreman testified in county court against Optotraffic — the speed cameras' private vendor — during a hearing for 15 speeding tickets issued by the cameras. Using software to analyze the pictures of his drivers taken by the speed cameras, Foreman said he determined they weren't actually speeding based on how long it took his employees to drive a specific distance.
Despite his claims, District 5 Judge Gerard Devlin dismissed Foreman's testimony on the grounds he was not an expert witness. Foreman is set to appear in court again Friday for other speeding tickets and said he plans to once again submit his previous findings.
"What concerns me is that it steals," Foreman said in an interview with The Diamondback earlier this month. "It is not accurate, and it falsely accuses people of speeding that are not."
AAA officials have thrown themselves into the thick of the contention as well, holding an Aug. 17 press conference that called the cameras illegal. Since it became operational a year ago, one camera on Metzerott Avenue has given more than 110,000 $40 fines. According to AAA, the cameras lack proper signage and have technological flaws. AAA representatives are also taking issue with the circumstances of Foreman's court appearance, which they said were improper.
AAA spokesman John Townsend said Optotraffic was given the chance to handpick its court date, which gave the company an unfair advantage because it was able to pick the judge it wanted.
Mickey Shepherd, Optotraffic's senior account manager, said the company complies with the law "a thousand percent" and did not receive any favored treatment in court.
"We are given court dates according to the spot that the district court makes available to us," Shepherd said. "We don't control the court dates; we fill the spots that the district court has."
Shepherd says speeding violations have decreased 83 percent since the cameras' installation last year and all ticketing has been lawful.
Some motorists aren't satisfied with the county judge's decision and plan to continue to fight until the cameras are taken down. Although some students said they believe the cameras unfairly snag drivers, they lack the funds to contest their $40 fines in court.
"The day I got caught I was just keeping up with traffic in the morning," said Derek Aucoin, a university alumnus. "[The cameras] feel more like traps to me."
Rachel Davidson, a junior communication and sociology major, said she has received two speeding tickets, prompting her to drive more slowly along city roads.
"If you don't know the cameras are there, you can rack up tickets," Davidson said.
College Park Mayor Andy Fellows said members of the community believe the cameras have increased safety in the city.
"There were a lot of people that were grateful that we were working to protect the safety of pedestrians. They are happy that people are slowing down," Fellows said.
(Ban the CAMS note: IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT, THAN LET YOUR VOTERS DECIDE. COME ON WE DARE YOU! Or are you going to hide behind the 30 day rule??? Of course one town where residents were able to get the signatures within the 30 days BANNED SPEED SCAMERAS! http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/31/3130.asp)
He noted the College Park City Council does not have any set plans to discuss the issue, believing the equipment is accurate and the locations are legal.
bach at umdbk dot com
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