Florida DUI Traffic Ticket Lawyer Blog

It seemed like a reader-friendly position to take when Tampa’s namesake newspaper came out in an editorial supporting the addition of red light cameras to the city’s intersections in the name of public safety. The opinion piece sites the fact that other cities around central Florida are already operating these red light camera systems and that despite the fact that studies show they tend to stop one type of car accident while increasing another is not a good enough reason not to go forward with the plan. The editorial, however, did not address the numerous problems that are cropping up as counties install the cameras in an attempt to replace money they have lost due to budget cuts.

The problems that have stemmed from red light cameras, which are operated by private companies, include lawsuits, an incident with a scam artist, a rash of tickets being issued for “rolling stops” and even a nightmare story of tickets being issued to the wrong driver. A West Palm Beach attorney who is fighting these cameras all over the state of Florida has claimed the citations, which are similar to parking tickets, only identify a car not a driver. That point seemed to gain merit when a Sarasota woman received two tickets for running red lights in a city she had never been in and in a car with a tag not even close to her own. The editorial on TBO.com says the tickets can be contested but “photographs are difficult to contest” and therein lies the problem. Wrongful tickets, which we know can happen, will be almost impossible to contest and can cost Tampa drivers hundreds of dollars.

If you have been cited for a traffic violation in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County and are in need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact experienced Traffic Defense Attorney Stephen Higgins at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourTicket.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email or by stopping in our Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

In 2007 Hillsborough County discussed installing controversial red light cameras at intersections in Tampa. At the time there were concerns about the high number of rear-end collisions at intersections with these cameras and also the city was worried about a private company issuing traffic citations. According to TBO.com, two years later the possibility of red light cameras in Tampa is getting another look.

The city is looking into how effective the cameras are in other Tampa Bay communities before making a decision. The county already is using these devices at 10 intersections including N. Dale Mabry and Waters Avenue, which was just activated last week. At the heart of the matter is not only safety but also a need to continue to find other streams of revenue for cash-strapped county and city governments. County officials anticipate generating more than $200,000 a month in fines.

If you have been cited for a traffic violation in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County and are in need qualified legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact experienced Traffic Defense Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourTicket.com. Also you can contact Darren via email or by stopping in our new Tampa office located at 3426 W. Kennedy Blvd.

The West Palm Beach attorney who has taken up the fight against Red Light Cameras in the State of Florida has made the point that the devices are causing people to be fined even though the red light cameras do not identify drivers only cars and the owner of the car is presumed guilty, which is the opposite of the standard which is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If he needs a case to illustrate that point, he only needs to talk with Sarasota’s Silvia Cuervo. Her frustrating story is detailed in today’s Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Cuervo has received two tickets from red light cameras. The problem is she drives a 2003 Nissan and it’s a Mercury sedan pictured slowly rolling through red lights. Oh and the tag number on the car that was in violation of the red light cameras isn’t even close to the one on her car. On top of that one of the tickets came from Lakeland, a city she has never been to.

The first time Cuervo got ticketed she just paid the fine. The second time she decided she would try and find out what was going on. She got no help from the people in Lakeland and was told she could drive the 80 miles to defend herself against a ticket she should never have received. Tom Lyons of the Sarasota Herald Tribune contacted Lakeland officials and they stood by the ticket saying the car on camera had a plate registered to Cuervo.

Thanks to Lyons who then contacted the DMV, it was discovered that the people in charge of verifying the photos in Lakeland misread the tag on the car in the photo. That wasn’t the only mistake. The police officer who is supposed to provide the checks and balances in the system didn’t verify the tag they believed was on the car matched the vehicle description. Lyons makes the point that nobody cared to check Cuervo’s story despite strong evidence. The company that runs the cameras and the city seemed to be banking on the fact she would just pay the ticket like she did before and the money would keep rolling in for the city.

If you have a traffic ticket in Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakeland or anywhere in Florida, we can help. Please do not hesitate to contact Traffic Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter or visit our website FightYourTicket.com. Also you can contact David via email.

With revenues falling for counties and cities all over the state of Florida, we have blogged a lot recently about red light cameras popping up all over the state and how they are a cash cow for local governments. Apparently there was someone out there who felt he could use the red light cameras to line his pockets as well.

As reported by Jennifer Leigh of News Channel 8, a scam artist is trying to take advantage of the new cameras in Lakeland for his own gain. The scammer is posing as Chris Johnson from the Lakeland Police Department. He was calling residents to “inform them” they had been caught running a red light and he needed their address so he could come to their house and photograph their car. While the real police think this was about money, they do worry the man may have had a more dangerous agenda than just scamming residents.

If you have received a traffic ticket anywhere in Florida please do not hesitate to contact Florida Traffic Attorney David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to discuss the matter. Also you can contact David via email.

Four months ago a white van rolled onto the streets of Juno Beach and since then there have been more tickets issued by the mobile unit than there are permanent residents in the town. Over 4000 citations totaling $261,000 have been issued by the unmanned van that uses cameras to catch speeders, the first of its kind in Florida. (read more)

An average of 35 motorists are being ticketed each day if they drive nine miles or more over the posted speed limit. Offenders receive a $125 ticket in the mail. The citation is a civil penalty and does not go on a driver’s permanent record. The van is moved to a different location every day and uses an infrared light beam system to record a passing car’s speed.

If you have a traffic ticket in Florida, we can help. Please do not hesitate to contact Traffic Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT to discuss the matter or visit our website fightyourticket.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email.

A few weeks ago we warned you about the red light cameras being installed in Bradenton. Well now they are up and running. Bradenton drivers think twice about running that red light coming off the DeSoto Bridge and heading south on U.S. 41 due to the activation of the newly installed cameras. The camera is up and started taking photos of license plates beginning Thursday. (read more)

This camera is just the first of 10 cameras Bradenton plans to install. Violators will receive a $125 fine in the mail. The next three cameras scheduled to go up are at Manatee Ave. East and U.S. 41, Seventh Avenue East and Ninth Street East and Manatee Avenue West and 15th Street West.

If you have a traffic ticket in Bradenton, Sarasota or Manatee, please do not hesitate to contact Sarasota Traffic Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT to discuss the matter or visit our website fightyourtickets.com. Also you can contact Stephen via email.

In a couple weeks Bradenton drivers may need to think twice about running that red light coming off the DeSoto Bridge and heading south on U.S. 41 due to installation of new cameras. The cameras are up and will start taking photos of license plates beginning in August. (read more)

The cameras will be tested before implementation begins and the project is a joint venture with ACS State and Local Solutions. The company paid for the cameras and installation and will receive $40 from each $125 ticket. According to Bradenton Police Sgt. Brian Theirs studies indicate there is a high number of violations at this particular intersection.

If you have a traffic ticket in Bradenton, Sarasota or Manatee, please do not hesitate to contact Sarasota Traffic Attorney Stephen Higgins, Esq. at 1-800-FIGHT-IT to discuss the matter. Also you can contact Stephen via email.

Florida police and sheriffs departments are actively pursuing stolen vehicles and drivers with suspended licenses. The technology, with the acronym ALPR, is assisting law enforcement in this endeavor as a device manufactured by NDI Technologies is in use across the State of Florida. Recently, the device was purchased by the Sarasota Police department and the officers use the technology on a daily basis. Atop of Sarasota police car 143 is a new 4 piece camera system. Prior to the start of the shift, police officers download all stolen car and wanted persons information from the state and Federal database. As the officers drive down the street, the cameras snap the license plate numbers of the vehicles and then match that information with the database. The cameras have the capability of capturing a vehicle tag every second. When a hit comes back, the police can then stake out the car or person and wait until the driver returns to the vehicle before making an arrest. In order to best utilize the technology, two officers ride in the vehicle that is equipped with the device, so that one officer can drive while the second officer reviews the laptop display. The device is so popular, that the officers are often called to DUI checkpoints or other locations where running individual tag numbers is not practical.

The law firm of Finebloom and Haenel represents motorists throughout the State of Florida on everything from a ticket, suspended license, DUI, and all misdemeanor and Felonies. They can be reached toll free at 1-800-FIGHT-IT.