Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 14:15:49 -0400
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
Subject: San Diego Red Light Camera Pictures Ruled Inadmissible
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

http://www.uniontrib.com/news/metro/20010904-1522-crime-camera.html

San Diego Union-Tribune
September 4, 2001

Judge dismisses 290 red-light camera tickets

By Len Novarro
REUTERS

SAN DIEGO - A San Diego judge Tuesday threw out 290 traffic tickets issued
to motorists by the city's controversial red light camera system, placing
the privately operated program in jeopardy along with its millions of
dollars in revenue.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald Styn, ruling in a case that has been
closely watched on both sides of a growing debate over the new technology,
said that a contingency fee paid to the private operator of the city's
system, Lockheed Martin IMS, made the evidence unreliable.

"The evidence from the red light cameras will not be admitted," Judge Ronald
Styn said in reaffirming his Aug. 15 opinion in a class-action lawsuit
against Lockheed Martin. Styn's ruling came after he heard arguments from
attorneys representing the motorists and by Deputy City Attorney Steven
Hansen, who said he was considering an appeal.

"I'm pretty adamant," Hansen said. "The judge's decision was incorrect. The
judge said that there was no problem with the camera's system. The only
problem ... was that a private company was operating it."

[...]


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