http://warondriving.com/post/13466140679/beat-ca-red-light-ticket

Guest Post: How To Beat a Red Light Camera Ticket in California
by Sara Schoonover of TicketKick.com

So you got a letter in the mail with your beautiful pictures on it, claiming that you went through an intersection on a red or made a right hand turn without stopping long enough. You are sure you stopped at that light! They want you to pay close to $500 to clear this ticket, or spend the time trying to defend yourself against it. But what could you possibly say to get out of it? I mean, they have you on photo and video running the light!

There are actually tons of “ammo” against redlightcameratickets. Red light camera law is one of the lengthier laws in the California Vehicle Code. Believe it or not, most cities are not in full compliance with all of the laws and requirements that apply to them to legally operate a red light camera system and issue tickets properly.

For example, did your city comply with the full 30-day warning period before they started issuing tickets, every time a camera system went up, at each intersection? Sometimes, the camera systems will go down and come back up at a specific intersection. Did they initiate a warning period following the newest installation? Does your city have a contract with the camera company that includes a “cost neutrality” clause, which says that the camera company would be paid an amount based on the number of tickets issued in that city? Are your cityʼs intersections in compliance with the proper timing requirements for the lights? Was your ticket issued by an officer trained as an expert in red light cameras, and could he testify that the cameras were working properly? Was your ticket issued within the 15 day limit that the issuing agency has to work with? Can your city prove that they are in compliance with all the proper signage requirements?

The requirements that the city must abide by goes on and on. Most cities are lacking in one or more of their standards on operating red light cameras, which could mean that their cameras are operating illegally. The city, doing something illegal? To request that your case be dismissed, however, you must present your defense to a judge through a trial in person, or a trialbywrittendeclaration (trial by mail). Even if you know you ran the light, and even if there are photos and even video showing that you ran the light, you can argue your citation based on dozens of legal and technical defenses.

Sara Schoonover is Vice President of of Ticket Kick, a California company that helps drivers get red light camera tickets and other traffic tickets dismissed by helping drivers through the trial by written declaration process. The company, which formally launched in 2010 after providing similar services since 2006, is the leading company in this space and growing rapidly.

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