Red Light Camera Appeals Coming Before Code Enforcement Board

In addition to hearing the myriad cases about abandoned buildings, sign code violations and other city code infractions, members of Clearwater's Municipal Code Enforcement Board are expected to become part of the appeals process for red light camera tickets.

A state law amends the red light camera ticket appeals process to include a local hearing officer, which would be the board, said Camilo Soto, assistant city attorney.

“We expect, on a very liberal front, to get the first appeals around August or so,” Soto said to the board at its meeting May 22. “Assuming it goes well and we’re not flooded and it’s not insane, we’ll continue with that process.”

However, a special hearing officer or magistrate might have to be hired to hear the cases if the board becomes inundated, Soto said.

Some drivers appeal the tickets because the citation is issued to the owner of the vehicle, not the driver of it.

Drivers appealing tickets could leave with a bigger fine if the ticket is not overturned. The board could assess an additional $250 to the $158 citation.

State lawmakers made a change to the red light camera law appeals process that takes effect July 1. In it, drivers can appeal to the county court as well as a local hearing officer or board.

Because the rules need to be in place so quickly, the Municipal Code Enforcement Board was selected to hear the cases, Soto said.

The meeting would go as it normally does, then there would be time reserved at the end for the red light camera appeals, Soto said. An officer who reviews the red light camera video before issuing a ticket would also be at the hearing, Soto said.

Related coverage:

• Red Light Camera Violator of the Week: Coming Through
• Red Light Camera Violator of the Week: Red Light Rear Ending
• Crashes Increased at Red Light Camera Intersections
• Red Light Camera Revenue Tops $570K in Clearwater
• Pinellas Clerk Asks Clearwater to Stop Writing Red Light Camera Tickets
• Red Light Camera Violator of the Week: Running Red in the Rain
• Cameras Cut Red Light Running in Clearwater
• Clearwater Red-Light Cameras Spy More Than 1,000 Violators in August
• City Approves Red Light Camera Proposal
• Red Light Camera Locations in Clearwater
• Red Light Cameras Running in Clearwater
• Red Light Camera Violator of the Week: On a Boat
• Video: How Do Red Light Cameras Work?
• Red Light Cameras: Legal or Unconstitutional?

Sign up for the free Clearwater Patch email newsletter to stay connected to your community.