Some Good News in Red-Light Ticket Cases

An appellate panel of Orange County Superior court recently ruled that photos and videos submitted by police were inadmissible as evidence in red-light ticket cases. Photo and video are considered hearsay because no officer actually saw the driver run the red light and the company that maintains the cameras did not testify in the case.

This recent court decision could affect citations across the country. Since this decision, several citations have been dismissed, but how future judges interpret this decision remains to be seen. It’s still an evolving area.

Cities such as Santa Ana, Laguna Woods, Garden Grove and San Juan Capistrano, are still issuing citations. Santa Ana, in particular, is looking to file a motion to have the recent decision unpublished, which would limit its impact on future cases. Vehicle Code Section 22350.