Florida Appeals Court Upholds American Traffic Solutions Role in Red-Light Running Violation Process
West Palm Beach, FL – Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeals upheld American Traffic Solutions (ATS) contractual role in processing red-light running violations for the City of Hollywood, reversing a lower court’s decision that held traffic enforcement officers, and not a third-party vendor, must supply the clerk of the court with violation information directly if the tickets are to be valid.
Throughout Florida, cities with red-light safety camera programs rely on their vendors to handle the administrative task of sending notices of violation and uniform traffic citations to vehicle owners and courts after a traffic-enforcement officer or designee determines whether the evidence captured by a red-light safety camera is sufficient to issue a ticket.
A Florida resident disputed this process when he went to trial in a Broward County Court to challenge his red-light running ticket. The court ruled in his favor and dismissed the violation holding that state law required a traffic enforcement officer to provide the violation information to the clerk of the court.
The City of Hollywood appealed (City of Hollywood v. Arem) the trial court’s verdict and on Wednesday, April 23rd received a favorable decision. In their ruling, Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeals determined that the legislature’s intent for the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act governing red-light cameras in Florida was “to create a streamlined process through which red light traffic infractions may be resolved,” and announced that the lower court’s ruling was based on “an unreasonably narrow reading” of the law.
The Court’s majority opinion further stated: “Upon reviewing the procedures employed by the city under its contract with ATS, we are satisfied that it is a traffic enforcement officer who makes the decision to issue the citation. The manner in which the original citation reaches the registered owner and the manner in which the digital version of the charging document reaches the county court does not deprive the county court of jurisdiction to entertain the enforcement proceeding.”
ATS General Counsel George Hittner said, “Today’s ruling once again affirms that red-light safety camera programs in Florida operate in full compliance with the law and provide authorities with timely and reliable evidence to enforce traffic laws. This ruling is consistent with many others within Florida and throughout the United States upholding the legal and legitimate use of photo enforcement systems to enhance road safety.”
For more information on the benefits of red-light safety cameras in Florida visit www.atsol.com/florida-facts.
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About American Traffic Solutions:
ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America, and in Florida where ATS contracts with Apopka, Hillsborough County, Miami and more than 60 other cities. Nationally, ATS has more than 3,200 installed red-light and speed safety cameras serving more than 30 million people. ATS has contracts with more than 275 communities in 21 states and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com. To view video that serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers that red-light runners present to our family and children; visit ATS on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ATSRoadSafety
Contact: Charles Territo
Title: Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
and Marketing, Communications
Phone: (480) 443-7000
Email: media@atsol.com
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