95ZR1

A few days ago I (I mean somebody I know)
received in the mail a camera intersection red light ticket/letter.
Incriminating photos and all.

The next day I received the ticket with "bail" at $490.
I thought camera tickets were discontinued?
What to do?

PS Intersection in Canoga Park, CA

oldalaskaman

pay it?

skyavonee

They were discontinued within the city of Los Angeles, but some towns in the Greater LA area (like Culver City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, etc) still use them. I guess where you got nailed isn't considered LA.

You have two options: pay it, or don't pay it. The right thing to do is to pay it.

Having said that, I have one on my record from over a year ago in Culver City that I never paid. They haven't increased my fine or put a hold on my vehicle registration, so I see no reason to. Paying it would cost me $490, plus my insurance would go up. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Varmit

did you check to see if they issued a warrant for your arrest!!!

mike100

I think the law may have changed, or at least precedence set in LA county court where an engineer or tech from the camera company has to appear in court to represent the robot.

I'd hire one of those $99 traffic lawyers to appear for you. they usually delay the trial and shuffle papers enough to make it not worthwhile for the prosecution to appear. CHP would probably still show up to defend a tradition speeding ticket, but I would think that money is lost having civilian employees travel to cities all around the state to do a $400 cite.

I would call one of those tickets lawyers and ask them how they handle those and what their success rate is. In some cases, I have heard you may pay, but they knock it down to a non-moving violation etc, but with this new precedence, I bet this is a slam dunk now.

petercln

My wife did a trial by written declaration for her red light camera ticket. I will send a pm with all the info.

hattitude

I don't think they can issue an arrest warrant for a camera ticket.....

The violation is an only an infraction, you haven't promised to appear in court like signing a ticket [40508(a)CVC], and you haven't been found guilty in court, fined for your violation, and then failed to pay the fine [40508(b)CVC].

I'm not sure how they handle that... unless they go to collection agency to ruin your credit or something...

Wildmanht

can you just do traffic school?

Varmit

they can indeed issue a failure to appear warrant for not appearing on a traffic cite. I know it is an infraction, but if gets stopped and they find out that he has an FTA, it can be a real pain in the rear for him.

skyavonee

FWIW, I've been stopped multiple times since the red light ticket due date, and no problems so far. If it ever comes up... "What? Red light ticket? I don't know what you're talking about, sir. It must have gotten lost in the mail."

Bingo. It's more like a parking ticket than a moving violation in that regard. How many overdue parking tickets do you need before they come after you?


btw, I'm neither a lawyer nor an expert on the subject... I'm just young and stupid

Dirty Howie

young and stupid = oxymoron



DH

Varmit

no your not stupid, you didn't know the procedure. My guess is that the cite was not issued, since you did not get anything in the mail, assuming the address on your cdl is your current address.
For info the cop will only know if he runs you through either dmv or a local warrant check through the Marshall's Office.
When I was still a cop, it had got to the point where people were not taken in on a FTW traffic warrant, a new citation would be issued with a new court date, unless the guy wanted to start giving you another reason to arrest him. Then it was a problem because you had to book him into county jail at that point. I think your good to go, espically if you have renewed you license, and it went through.

Varmit

in that case cannot reregister your car or One day you come out to get your ride at a parking space at the curb, and find out that your car is not there, it had been impounded and now you got late fees, cite fees, and about $300.00 in impound fees

parking cite goes against the car, the traffic cite goes against your driving record

cv67

Bet youre right they do it with city biz tax, fighting that one right now
Usury to the 100th degree. BS


Big T what intersection was this at so I can watch for it?
Thoguht they disc. all those also.


There is one at Canoga and Nordhoff watch out for it. (east/westbound)Brand new

hattitude

I agree..... but on a camera ticket, you don't sign the ticket promising to appear in court.

Without your promise to appear, they can't issue an arrest warrant just for an infraction.

Early in my career I arrested many people for warrants resulting from traffic tickets. The arrest warrant was always for 40508(a)cvc- failure to appear, which requires a signed ticket with a court date that the person misses or 40508(b)cvc- failure to pay fine, which required someone to be found guilty in court, ordered to pay a fine by the court, and then they don't pay.


Personally I'd pay the camera ticket because I'm sure they have some way to make your life miserable if you don't. I just don't see how it can end up as an arrest warrant with just a picture.

pauldana

brother is a cop.... here is the scoop from how i understand it.... unless they sent the ticket certified mail, they have no way to prove you got it... thus, to arrest warrant, no penalties,.... thay can not go after you for something they can not prove you got....

But.... will it every disappear completely???? have no idea.... just dont show up in any court for any other infraction?!?!?!?! lol...


in SCV they issued tones.... and many many did not pay.... and no one ever went after them, from my understanding...

richp5

My son got one in Santa Ana and it was $553 including the privilege to take traffic school - extra cost . As he was driving a car registered to me I made him pay it.

Varmit

That was what I was talking about when I said received a notice in the mail. If they issue the cite, and you get a notice in the mail, you cannot just disregard it or throw it in the garbage and pretend it will go away.

I personally do not see how the whole thing can be legal, it is an infraction not committed in the presence of an LEO, and the state cannot compel you to identify who the driver is. So ........

cv67

Dont just throw it out the city WILL get their money trust me

Dealing with this on city bus. tax
Bunch of thugs extorting $

Let us know what happens on this 95ZR1

MTPZ06

They discontinued these in LA because the cameras cost more than the revenue they were supposed to generate. Something staggering like 90% of the tickets issued went uncollected if I recall correctly.