What is the purpose of Maryland’s traffic cameras?

As readers of this blog likely know, the issue of speed cameras in the Baltimore area has been a frequent topic of discussion. When a person is caught on camera speeding, they are automatically issued a ticket. However, as past cases have shown, these cameras aren’t always accurate, which has served as a solid basis for defenses against some traffic citations.

Recently, however, one Maryland man took a different approach when contesting a speeding ticket. He effectively argued that his ticket was the result of a camera that is placed in a way that goes against its very purpose.

According to the man, the speed cameras were installed in his county on the grounds that they would deter speeding in school zones and residential areas. Yet the camera that allegedly caught him speeding was not close to homes, rather it was placed near a golf course and medical facility. In the end, the judge dismissed the ticket.

The man did not stop with this particular argument, but he went further to say that the county should refund tickets given to everyone captured by that particular camera.

Although pleading guilty to the traffic violation may not have had major implications for the man involved in this story, facing such charges can have serious implications for those with a history of citations or those with a professional driver’s license. The court may decide to punish a person by suspending or revoking their license, which can be incredibly damaging. This is exactly why it’s important to evaluate the implications of every traffic charge, even if it’s a speeding ticket.

Source: Washington Post, “Attorney beats speed-camera ticket,” Dan Morse, Jan. 15, 2013

• Our firm has experience helping Baltimore residents maintain their driver’s licenses in light of traffic violation. To find out more, please see our traffic violations page.