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In the interest of public safety, Florida police departments and judges take going through red lights seriously. If you’re stopped by police and issued a ticket for disobeying a red light, and you either plead guilty or are found guilty, the penalty plus surcharges are going to be costly. Then, there are three points off of your driver’s license too. If you add everything up, including a half of a day off work and higher insurance rates, a better option will be to retain an experienced Tampa traffic ticket defense attorney from the RHINO Lawyers. There are a variety of ways to argue for a dismissal of a prosecution for a red light violation. Our Tampa traffic ticket defense attorneys look at red light tickets with those ways in mind. They’re articulate and aggressive in arguing for dismissal of these tickets.
Contact us today if you received a ticket for Failure to Stop at a traffic signal.
As opposed to police officers issuing red light tickets, the majority of such tickets are brought by using red light cameras. Those people who support use of the cameras maintain that they save lives. Others maintain that the number of rear-end collisions have increased at red light camera intersections as a result of sudden stops in attempts to avoid getting a ticket from a red light camera. The cameras are so controversial that they are not even allowed to be used in many states.
The cameras are attached to poles, and they’re most often used at intersections where police and traffic studies have concluded that there are a high rate of red light violations. Vehicles are detected moving through an intersection by sensors, and automated cameras take photos of vehicles that pass through the intersection when the traffic light is red. Noted on the video or photos are the date and time of the alleged violation, the speed of the vehicle and how much time it took for it to go through the intersection.
If you’re accused of running a red light in a camera controlled intersection, you will receive a Notice of Violation. This notice isn’t an actual traffic ticket. The fine is $158, and if you pay the Notice of Violation within 30 days, nothing goes on your driving record. That means no half of a day off of work for court, no points off of your driver’s license and no staggering insurance premium increases. If you object to the Notice of Violation, a procedure is in place, but the rules of evidence don’t exist. Good luck. That county or municipality wants your money, and your wallet is being held hostage.
If you don’t allow that county or municipality to grab $158 from your pocket, you’re going to receive a traffic ticket. That’s when you are supposed to have the constitutional protection of due process of law, but here’s the rub. If you’re found guilty in traffic court, the fine will increase to a minimum of $277. The only “good” news about that is that no points will be taken off of your license, but if you don’t pay the $277 within 30 days, your driver’s license will be suspended. Another issue is that as opposed to an officer citing a driver, a red light ticket is issued to the owner of the car, no matter who was driving it. As per Florida law, cars can’t testify in court, but apparently, cameras can. Cameras can’t be cross examined though. So where’s the constitutional protection of due process of law?
There may or may not be a reason to defend your red light traffic ticket. Counties and municipalities have even gone so far as to shorten the timing on yellow lights in efforts to make even more money off of red light cameras. Then, there are the issues of red light camera tickets being brought against the wrong vehicles. Talk to us here at RHINO Lawyers right away after receiving any red light camera Notice of Violation in or around Tampa. We offer free consultations, and we’re going to listen to your side of the story closely. Then, we’ll answer your questions and advise you of your legal options. Our Tampa traffic ticket lawyers make it cost-effective to exercise them.
