Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Ohio: Lawsuit Seeks To Shut Down Speed Cameras
Earlier this month a Hamilton County, Ohio judge declared Elmwood Place in contempt of court for ignoring a ruling that found speed cameras to be an unlawful “scam.” A group of lawyers is seeking to replicate that legal success by shutting down the automated ticketing machines in New Miami, a village of 2000 residents located twenty miles to the north, with a class action lawsuit filed on Friday.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
California: City Retreats From Red-Light Camera Referendum
City leaders in Riverside, California are backing off the promise made last November to allow residents to make the call about whether to keep or eliminate red-light cameras. The city council votes later today on a staff recommendation to pull the plug on the public vote.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Red-Light Camera Company Patent Troll Trial Advances
A red-light camera company won the first round in an ongoing legal battle with a patent troll. A federal judge last week rejected the attempt by Joao Control and Monitoring Systems to throw out counterclaims made by American Traffic Solutions (ATS), which is seeking an order shutting down Joao’s lawsuit. In February, Joao filed suit against ATS in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York claiming that the way ATS allows recipients of speed and red-light camera tickets view video of an alleged infraction on a website violates Joao’s patent on webcasting and a related automobile security patent. Joao subsequently filed another federal suit against ATS in Delaware.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Germany, UK: Speed Cameras Trashed, Burned
In North Wales, vigilantes set fire to three speed cameras between Tuesday and Wednesday. News North Wales reported the first camera was burned in Pentre at 6:30am on Tuesday. Around midnight Wednesday, a tire was used to burn a camera on A5119 in Sychdyn, and half-an-hour later trash was used to fuel the blaze that destroyed the camera on Chester Road in Sandycroft.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Texas: Group Accuses Camera Company Of Conspiracy To Deny Vote
A group of anti-red-light camera activists on Thursday accused American Traffic Solutions (ATS) of conspiring with the city of Sugar Land, Texas to deny citizens a chance to vote on whether to keep or ban automated ticketing machines. H. F. Van Der Grinten, known as “Captain Van,” had circulated a petition and collected a sufficient number of signatures to put the issue on the ballot — something that had local leaders very worried.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
ACLU Report Exposes Extent Of License Plate Surveillance
The American Civil Liberties Union has been gathering information on police use of motorist surveillance technologies for more than a year. The group’s report, issued Wednesday, adds to the national debate on domestic spying in the wake of the revelation that the National Security Agency has been collecting and storing emails and telephone GPS location data on everyone.
