Fighting a Red Light Ticket
As the wording for Disobeying a Red Light suggests, the driver of a vehicle must stop their vehicle before proceeding through a red traffic light.
Although this sounds simple there are many issues to consider when your red light ticket comes to court, for example;
- did the driver actually disobey the red light?
- was the red light working properly?
- did the officer check the lights before or after the violation?
- where exactly was the driver suppose to stop? in the intersection, before the intersection, before the crosswalk, or before the stop line?
- exactly where was the vehicle when the light turned red?
- did the officer have a clear view and unobstructed view of the intersection?
To fight a red light ticket knowing the essential elements that the prosecution has to prove against you, and knowing how to run a court trial gives you the best chance to win your trial.
A red light traffic ticket is considered a serious traffic offence. In most cases the Judge will not listen to any explanation why you may have went through the red light, only "did you go through the red light", and then can the prosecutor and police officer prove the charge.
Any explanation as to why you went through the red light is not something that will get the charge dropped, an explanation is not a defense a traffic ticket. All the judge is allowed to do with an explanation is reduce the fine, but the conviction and demerit points will still be applied.
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Red Lights - Going to Trial
At trial the police officer will have a government appointed prosecutor or lawyer to assist them as counsel.
To have the best opportunity to win you case get trial counsel on your side giving you trial knowledge and technical experience to go against the prosecutor and police.
Example of trial argument for a red light ticket trial,
If a vehicle is traveling at a speed of 50km/h, then the vehicle is traveling at 44 feet every second.
If the officer at trial says the vehicle was one car length behind the line when the light turned red, what the officer is really saying is that for .06 of a second or less the driver violated the traffic lights.
When a trial can involve technicalities of as little as .06 of a second you know it’s important to have an expert on your side.
OTT Legal Services are experts and have successful appeared on hundreds of red light and amber light tickets.
A conviction for a Red light ticket stays on a driving record for three years from the date of the offence and can dramatically affect insurance rates. Call or Visit to talk to one of our former police officers and licensed paralegals today.
