Red Light Camera Tickets

Red light camera tickets are becoming a pretty big deal in California.  Is driving through a red light two tenths of a second after it changes really worth $500? AND a point on your license?

Purely to increase municipality revenue, these systems have virtually no effect on safety.  People don't usually run a red light consciously.  And if they do, they're probably interested in avoiding an accident regardless of a video camera.  While it might be nice to catch traffic collisions on camera, charging someone $500 for going through a light less than a second late (well before opposing traffic gets going) just bothers me.

These systems generally operate using loops in the road that detect when a car has crossed an intersection during a red period.  There are cameras that take photos and sometimes video of the car running the red light. 

It would seem a difficult ticket to beat.  Photographic or video evidence is hard to overcome.  But there are many defenses (identity of driver, blurry picture, short late time, and system problems).

More importantly, you may be able to ignore the notification altogether.  Your obligation to appear in court stems from signing a promise to appear on a ticket, issued by a police officer.  The camera that took a picture of your car didn't have you sign anything!  If you get a notice in the mail accusing you of running a red light, contact a local attorney before you do anything else.  It could save you a lot of money.

If you have received a red light camera ticket, consult with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney to discuss your best course of action.  If the ticket was issued in LA County (Culver City, Beverly Hills, Orange Line Metro, City of Walnut, etc.), ignoring the ticket may end up being your best bet.  Without proof that you got notice of the court date, the LA County courts will not send a point to the DMV or put a failure to appear hold on your license.  Not only does ignoring the ticket help you to avoid.

If you have already set up a court date, or if your ticket is in a county outside of Los Angeles (OC, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino all do report red light camera tickets to the DMV and will issue failure to appear holds if you ignore it), it may be in your best interest to have an attorney fight the ticket for you.  These tickets are not only costly, but come with a point that can increase insurance premiums, or lead to a suspension of your driving privileges.

Contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Loncar now for a Free Consultation with a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney.

LA Superior Court
Department of Motor Vehicles

Nicholas M. Loncar, Esq. 
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney
t: 213-375-3775 | f: 213-375-3099
Mobile: 323-803-4352 
Nicholas.Loncar@iDefendLosAngeles.com
1200 Wilshire Blvd | Suite 406
Los Angeles, CA | 90017
www.iDefendLosAngeles.com

By Nicholas Loncar

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