The consequences have been especially punishing in Black neighborhoods, which have been hit with more than half a billion dollars in penalties over the last 15 years, contributing to thousands of vehicle impoundments, driver’s license suspensions and bankruptcies, according to ProPublica’s analysis. A ProPublica analysis of millions of citations found that households in majority Black and Hispanic ZIP codes received tickets at around twice the rate of those in white areas between 20. And in 2020, Lori Lightfoot assured residents her expansion of the program was “about making sure that we keep communities safe.”īut for all of their safety benefits, the hundreds of cameras that dot the city - and generate tens of millions of dollars a year for City Hall - have come at a steep cost for motorists from the city’s Black and Latino neighborhoods. “My goal is only one thing, the safety of our kids,” Rahm Emanuel said in 2011, as he lobbied for the introduction of speed cameras. His successors echoed those sentiments as they expanded camera enforcement. “This is all about safety, safety of pedestrians, safety of other drivers, passengers, everyone,” he said. Daley ushered in Chicago’s red-light cameras nearly two decades ago, he said they would help the city curb dangerous driving. Series: Driven Into Debt How Tickets Burden the PoorĬHICAGO - When then-Mayor Richard M. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Call 81 to schedule your free initial consultation today.ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Zaremba, we understand the law and we will work hard to protect your rights every step of the way. For more information, contact an experienced Joliet criminal defense attorney. If you have received a Notice of Violation related to a speed-camera or red-light camera, you may be unsure of what to do next, especially in light of last week’s ruling. Her choice of such strong words has led many to believe that the already-financially struggling city will, most likely, be required to refund the fines and fees paid by thousands of motorists. In addition, she declared all such tickets to be void, as the lawsuit continues. She rejected the motion, harshly indicating that she believes that Chicago is consistently violating “fundamental principles of justice, equity, and good conscience” in its handling of camera-related violations. While there has been no final verdict in the lawsuit yet, last week’s ruling was issued by Judge Kennedy in regard to the city’s motion to dismiss the case. The suit further claims that late fees are being applied to fines inappropriately, failing to adhere to the timeframes and grace periods provided in the law. Attorneys for the claimants maintain that the second notice is a necessary step in the process to ensure a suspected violator’s right to contest the citation prior to being found financially liable. The lawsuit against the city, however, indicates that second notices are not being sent to motorists and the liability determinations are being made too quickly. According to Chicago city code, if the owner fails to respond, a second notice is to be sent to the vehicle owner prior to the determination of liability-which is essentially a default judgment of guilt. When a vehicle is caught breaking the law by a red-light camera or speed camera, the city is supposed to send a Notice of Violation to the registered owner of the vehicle. By violating the city code, Judge Kathleen Kennedy ruled, ticketed motorists were denied due process and the proper ability to contest their issued citations. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed almost a year ago by three named plaintiffs, alleging that the city violated its own municipal codes in the process of ticketing and collecting fines related to red-light and speed-cameras. The city is now facing the possibility of being forced to refund millions of dollars collected in fines from motorists who were ticketed as a result of being caught on camera. As more and more communities around the country continue to install cameras at intersections and other areas of traffic concern, a Cook County judge has found major problems with the program in Chicago.
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