Appeals Court Rules Florissant Red Light Cameras Are Legal

The Missouri Court of Appeals has again ruled that red light cameras are legal.

Florissant Red Light Camera Lawsuit

In 2011, three plaintiffs who had received red light camera tickets filed a class action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Florissant, Missouri red light camera ordinance.

In May 2012, the trial court upheld the Florissant red light camera ordinance and dismissed plaintiffs’ lawsuit. Plaintiffs appealed their case to the Missouri Court of Appeals.

Yesterday, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld most of the trial court’s dismissal of the plaintiffs’ lawsuit, but sent some of the issues back to the trial court for further argument. The plaintiffs’ attorney has vowed to appeal the case to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Court of Appeals Did Not Resolve All of the Issues

Among other things, the plaintiffs alleged that the Florissant red light camera tickets violated their due process rights by not providing them with notice of a court date, which deprived them of the opportunity to challenge the ticket in court. The Court of Appeals ruled that plaintiffs did not present enough evidence regarding that point, so plaintiffs will have a second chance to argue that issue again in the trial court.

What Are Red Light Camera Tickets?

Many municipalities in the St. Louis metropolitan area use red light cameras to catch drivers who run red lights. Red light cameras are controversial because the ticket is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle, regardless of who was driving the vehicle at the time of the violation.

The fine for a red light camera ticket in the St. Louis area is usually around $100. A red light camera ticket is a non-moving violation, so it does not cause points to be added to the vehicle owner’s driving record. If you fail to pay the fine for a red light camera ticket, the court may issue a warrant for your arrest.

For more information, click here to read a recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch article about the Florissant red light camera lawsuit.

Click here to read the entire Florissant red light camera Court of Appeals opinion.

If you have received a Missouri speeding ticket and would like to get it reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 or email her at [email protected] to get a price quote for legal representation.