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St. Louis Wants to Bring Back Red Light Cameras & Add Speed Cameras

St. Louis City wants to bring back red light cameras and add speed cameras to pay for hiring more police officers.

In late 2014, St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay announced his plan to increase the annual police budget by $8.7 million to hire 160 more police officers to fight increased crime in the City.

The proposed bills for the budget increase were unsuccessful in 2014, but the Mayor’s office announced this week that they plan to try again to obtain the funding to hire more police officers.

In addition to money from red light camera ticket fines and speed camera ticket fines, other proposed sources of funding include an increase in the city’s vehicle license tax and a tax on parking garages.

Click here to read the full St. Louis Post-Dispatch article about red light cameras and speed cameras in St. Louis City.

If you have received a speeding ticket or other traffic violation in Missouri, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 to get a price quote for legal representation. Or email Andrea at [email protected]

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Red Light Cameras Argued in MO Supreme Court Today

Today the Missouri Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on cases involving the use of red light cameras and speed cameras in St. Louis city, Moline Acres, and St. Peters.

Click on this link to go to the Missouri Supreme Court website to read summaries of the cases being heard today in the Missouri Supreme Court.

One case involves the use of speed cameras in the city of Moline Acres (a St. Louis County suburb); the other two cases involve red light cameras in the city of St. Louis and the city of St. Peters.

Listen to Oral Arguments in the Missouri Supreme Court Red Light Camera Hearing

You can listen live to the attorneys’ oral arguments in these three cases by going to the Missouri Supreme Court website or by clicking on this link: //www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=1977. You can only use this link today to listen live to the oral arguments.

When Will the Missouri Supreme Court Issue its Ruling in the Red Light Camera Cases?

The Missouri Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments today by attorneys representing the parties in these red light/speed camera cases, but the Court is not expected to issue its rulings on these cases until the end of the year.

Should I Pay My Red Light Camera Fine?

I can not advise you regarding whether or not you should pay your red light camera ticket fine. The information that I provide in this blog post is general information and should not be considered legal advice because there is no attorney-client relationship created by your reading this blog post.

However, I can tell you that, if you pay your St. Louis city red light camera ticket fine now, it will be considered a voluntary payment. The city of St. Louis must put that money in escrow and can not use it until after the Missouri Supreme Court determines whether or not the St. Louis city red light camera ordinance is legal.

Will the Court Issue an Arrest Warrant if I Don’t Pay my Red Light Camera Fine?

For the past several years, the St. Louis City Municipal Court has had the power to issue warrants if drivers refuse to pay red light camera ticket fines, but the Court has not issued warrants in those cases. This appears to be a temporary policy that the Court has enacted and, therefore, the Court could decide to change its policy at any time and start issuing warrants for drivers who refuse to pay their red light camera fines.

What if the Missouri Supreme Court Rules that the Red Light Cameras are Legal?

If the Missouri Supreme Court rules that the red light cameras used by the city of St. Louis are legal, the city of St. Louis could pursue drivers who refused to pay red light camera fines and demand payment for the unpaid amount.

Will I Get a Refund if St. Louis City Red Light Cameras Are Ruled Illegal?

If the Missouri Supreme Court rules that the red light cameras used in the city of St. Louis are illegal, it is possible that the City would be forced to issue full or partial refunds to all drivers who have paid red light camera fines in the past. However, there have been other cities in the United States that were forced to quit using red light cameras but were not required to issue refunds.

The Missouri Supreme Court will decide whether the City’s red light camera law is legal and whether or not the City must issue refunds to those who have already paid red light camera fines.

 

If you have a Missouri speeding ticket that you want to get reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation, call St. Louis traffic law attorney Andrea Storey Rogers at (314) 724-5059 or email Andrea at [email protected] or [email protected] for a price quote and estimate of your fine and court costs.

 

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Which Cities Arrest Drivers for Red-Light Camera Tickets?

These cities arrest drivers for unpaid red-light camera tickets:  Creve Coeur, Florissant, Hazelwood, St. Ann, St. Peters, and Wentzville.

Arnold, Bel-Nor, Brentwood, Clayton, Hillsdale, Pine Lawn, and St. Louis City currently do not issue warrants for failure to pay red-light camera tickets.

What is a Red-Light Camera Ticket?

Red-light camera tickets are issued against vehicles that are caught on camera running a red light. The ticket is not personally issued to the driver by a police officer. Instead, it is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Therefore, if you loan your car to someone and they receive a red-light camera ticket while driving your car, the ticket will be mailed to you (the registered owner of the vehicle), and it will be your responsibility to pay the fine or risk having a warrant for your arrest issued.

Many red-light cameras only capture a photo of the vehicle’s license plate, while other cameras photograph both the license plate and the driver’s face.

Red-Light Camera Tickets Are Non-Moving, No-Point Violations in Missouri

A red-light camera ticket is a non-moving violation, which means no points will be added to your Missouri driving record. Fines for red-light camera tickets in the St. Louis area are different in each court and can range from $100 to $125.

Speed Camera Tickets Are Similar to Red-Light Camera Tickets

Speed camera tickets are non-moving, no-point infractions, similar to red-light camera tickets. The tickets are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, rather than being issued in person by a police officer.

Cool Valley & St.Ann have speed cameras and they do issue warrants for unpaid speed camera ticket fines. Bel-Ridge, Hillsdale and Pine Lawn currently do not issue arrest warrants if you don’t pay a speed camera fine.

Click here to read my previous blog post about speed cameras in St. Louis.

Courts Can Issue a Warrant if You Fail to Pay a Red-Light Camera Fine

Courts have the power to issue arrest warrants against defendants who fail to appear in court on their court date or who fail to pay their fines. This applies to any defendant accused of any offense, not just red-light camera violations.

What Happens if You Don’t Pay Your Red-Light Camera Ticket Fine?

If you fail to pay your red-light camera ticket fine, the court will send a letter reminding you to pay. If you don’t pay the fine after receiving the first letter, the court will send a second letter (called a “summons”) telling you to appear in court. If you don’t appear in court in response to the summons, the court will issue a warrant for your arrest.

In addition to being charged with running a red light, you may also be charged with Failure to Appear (FTA) if you don’t pay the fine or appear in court. The court will assess additional fees for the FTA charge and also a separate warrant fee if the court issues a warrant.

Which Courts Issue Warrants for Red-Light Camera Tickets in St. Louis?

Creve Coeur, Florissant, Hazelwood, St. Peters, St. Ann, and Wentzville issue arrest warrants for drivers who don’t pay their red-light camera ticket fines.

Which Courts Don’t Issue Warrants for Red-Light Camera Tickets in St. Louis?

Arnold, Bel-Nor, Brentwood, Clayton, Hillsdale, Pine Lawn, and St. Louis City have red-light cameras but they currently do not issue warrants if drivers fail to pay their fines. (Keep in mind that these courts’ policies regarding red-light camera tickets can change at any time.)

St. Louis City sends unpaid tickets to a debt collection law firm. Other courts may soon do the same.

Why Do Some Courts Not Issue Warrants for Red-Light Camera Tickets?

Not all cities that have red-light cameras issue warrants when drivers fail to pay their fines. One reason for this may be because of potential due process issues that may arise if the court arrests the registered owner of a vehicle without proof that the owner was the person driving the vehicle when the red-light violation occurred.

If the red-light camera captures a photo of the license plate but no photo of the actual driver, then there is no proof that the registered owner of the vehicle was driving the vehicle at the time of the violation.

The red-light cameras used in Wentzville, MO and St. Peters, MO take photos of both the driver’s face and the vehicle’s license plate. This makes it easier for the registered owner of the vehicle to fight the ticket in court if he was not the person driving the car at the time of the violation.

Do Courts Really Arrest People for Unpaid Red-Light Camera Tickets?

Yes, courts in the St. Louis area do arrest people for not paying their red-light camera tickets.

St. Peters police recently arrested a St. Charles County councilman for an unpaid red-light camera ticket that he received last summer. St. Peters sent the councilman two notices in the mail, and then issued a warrant for his arrest. The councilman claims he mailed his payment to the court before receiving the second notice, but the court had no record of his payment, so it issued a warrant for the councilman’s arrest and St. Peters police arrested him.

Click here to read the St. Louis Post-Dispatch article about St. Peters arresting drivers for unpaid red-light camera ticket fines.

How to Fight a Red-Light Camera Ticket

If you receive a red-light camera ticket and you want to fight it in court, either call the phone number on the ticket or call the court clerk and ask for a court date. You will have to appear in court for arraignment and plead not guilty, and then the judge will set a trial date for your case.

At the trial of a red-light camera ticket, you should expect a representative of the company that administers the red-light cameras to testify in court. Also testifying in court will be the police officer who reviewed the video showing your vehicle going through the intersection. (Red-light camera tickets are reviewed by a police officer before being mailed to defendants.)

In St. Louis City Municipal Court, there is a separate docket for red-light camera ticket defendants. You will have to appear in court on your court date, at which time the judge will watch the video showing your vehicle going through the intersection, and the judge will decide whether or not to dismiss your ticket.

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St. Louis City Adds More Red Light Cameras

St. Louis City will install 11 more red light cameras this year, taking the total up to 62 cameras at 31 intersections in the City. The new red light cameras will be added regardless of the current legal dispute over whether the City’s red light camera ordinance violates state law.

St. Louis City Circuit Judge Mark Neill ruled in February 2012 that the City’s red light camera ordinance is void, but the City is challenging that ruling in the Missouri State Court of Appeals.

You Can Fight Your Red Light Camera Ticket In St. Louis City Municipal Court

In the meantime, the City has changed the wording on the red light camera tickets to inform defendants that they can fight their tickets in court if they choose to do so. Click here to read a St. Louis Magazine article about how to fight your red light camera ticket in St. Louis City traffic court.

Where Will The New Red Light Cameras Be Installed In St. Louis City?

Here’s a list of the locations where red light cameras will be installed this year:

    • Forest Park & Skinker (already installed)
    • Forest Park & Vandeventer
    • Olive & Jefferson
    • Jefferson & Park
    • Delmar & Skinker
    • Union & Bircher
    • Kingshighway & Oleatha

According to this recent article about St. Louis City’s red light cameras, the cameras have brought in $17 million in revenue within the past 5 years since the cameras were installed.

St. Louis City Municipal Court does not issue warrants to defendants who refuse to pay fines for red light camera tickets, but unpaid tickets are turned over to a law firm for debt collection.