[2000Z-71]

Got a little present in the mail today from Paradise Valley, a photo radar ticket for 10mph over and $150.00. I'm going to call my rent a lawyer tomorrow and see what kind of options if any that I have for fighting it. Just to add insult to injury, I received the ticket in the mail today and only have 3 business days to respond to it. I swear if I ever win the Powerball, I'm going to build a trailer park in Paradise Valley just to piss the locals off and see if I can bring down their $1 million median home price.

Oh well, rant off I feel better now.

[Rob Hood]

I would work an argument that the ticket wasn't written/issued by the PV police. See if the camera system is owned or leased by the city, who actually operates it, and who mails the ticket. Photo tickets got overturned in San Diego, IIRC. Also, the picture may not take into account traffic conditions/environment (were you overtaking another vehicle, and upon completion of the pass, resuming the posted limit?) Similar to a cop seeing someone speeding; they pull you over to find out why you were breaking the law.

I really hate photo-radar/stoplights. It's immediate presumption of guilt without taking into account the entire scenario. Granted, most times the offending party is guilty, but it is not an automatic slam-dunk every time. And some studies are starting to surface showing accidents being reduced within the square (for running a red light), but increasing prior to the square (people actually trying to stop for a red light and getting rear-ended).