Last week, a district appellate court ruled that an Aventura police officer issued a red light camera ticket legally after the driver was caught making an illegal right turn. This ruling essentially allows the city of Aventura to continue its red light camera program, which is the first of its kind in Miami-Dade County. Needless to say, the program has been quite contentious since it debuted and has spawned several lawsuits.
Last year, a Miami-Dade County Court judge dismissed a ticket given to the driver that allegedly made the illegal right turn on red after his attorney pointed out a previous case involving the City of Hollywood that challenged the cameras. In that case, a court ruled that the city had broken the law by allowing the company that runs the cameras to issue tickets instead of a police officer. Florida law states that traffic laws can only be enforced by sheriff’s officers or local police. In the City of Aventura case, the police officers are the ones that issue the tickets which may have swayed the appeals court to uphold the decision.
The Hollywood case set off a firestorm of complaints across Florida aimed at challenging red light cameras. Many municipalities also decided to stop their red light camera programs due to fears of potential legal action.
This update is brought to you by Miami traffic attorney Hochman & Goldin, P.A. We can assist you with criminal traffic violations and are ready to answer your questions. Please call 305-665-1000 to speak with a Miami expungement attorney.