Here's the situation:

Last night at around midnight, I was driving home. I was approaching a photo-enforced intersection while the light was green, preparing to turn left. About 15 - 20 feet before I entered the intersection the light turned yellow, leaving me no time or room to stop before it turned red. As I entered the intersection the light turned red (WAY prematurely, I would say within 2.5 seconds of turning yellow) and the cameras went off from all directions.

I was driving under the speed limit and honestly don't think I could have safely stopped at the intersection. I plan on taking the ticket to court once it arrives, but I want to be as knowledgeable about the technicalities/loopholes of the law beforehand.

Does anyone have any advice on the best way to fight it, or could someone link me to a helpful source? I've been looking but haven't found much.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I was turning on an arrow, meaning I was sitting in the middle of the intersection waiting for my opportunity to turn.

 

We had the thread about this stuff a minute ago, but this is kinda different.

Some guy in Atlanta videotaped a buncha red lights a while back and proved that the camera-enforced ones had shorter yellows. Basically showed that the government was trying to artificially increase the number of red light tickets. Got his dismissed, along with a retroactive dismissal of a bunch of others.

Bottom line, you think the yellow was short, prove it. Take tapes to court. Only way to beat it for sure that I can think of.

 

Yellow light times can be adjusted on a per intersection basis, there's nothing wrong with that. But if it was indeed obscenely short like you described, taping the intersection would be the only way to fight it.

Some of those cameras do actually take video. One of my co-workers got nailed by one for a right on red without stopping, apparently they had the video from the camera and he asked to see it, and it showed that he came to a complete stop but the damn camera went off anyway, he got out of that ticket. The situation isn't the same is yours, but it is possible to fight those tickets.

 

Most of the time here in AZ, the photo-enforced tickets are easily dismissed when you have a situation like yours. Also, there are several intersections here in Tucson (such as one by my house) where you are often to forced to take a left on a red light.

The video idea, although potentially difficult to obtain, isn't a bad idea but I'd see if you can find out what others in your area may've done to get out of such a ticket.

 

When I was visiting Phoenix, I saw a guy on a motorcycle haul ass past one of the radar cameras. Right before he passed it, he reached behind and covered his license plate. Waited a few seconds, then kept speeding.

I loved it.

 

That MIGHT be a little harder to do with a car...

 

You don't keep a midget in your trunk?

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. One of these days after school I'll tape the intersection.

For those saying it is "easily dismissed," can you be a bit more specific?

 

What I mean by that is generally, as in your case, the light changed too quickly despite you being legally in the intersection to begin with. You entered on green, was prepared to make a cautionary left turn on a yellow when it abruptly turned to red. You were caught, and got a ticket which I think was bogus.

Trying to catch the timing of the light isn't a bad idea but can be tricky. If you have a local TV team, they might be interested in exposing a "trick" light.

 

Not quite. I didn't make it clear that this was a protected left turn (as in I was turning on an arrow). The light was definitely not green when I entered it, and MIGHT have been red. My problem is that the yellow light was not long enough either for me to stop before entering the intersection or to go through it. That's why I think I might have a hard time fighting this.

 

Ah. That does change things substantially...

Best of luck.

 

So you just pleaded guilty to running the light.

 

If you were really in the middle of the intersection, or "no man's land" as some refer to it, then you shouldn't of gotten a ticket for turning after the red. But the fact you think it "MIGHT" of been a red arrow before you entered, means you'll probably lose.

 

Yeah by what you posted you are just trying to get out of a ticket that you deserve getting. I mean just pay the fine and be done with it.

 

That is how it sounds, but the point I'm trying to get across is that the yellow light was too short for me to have done anything about about it. And therein lies my predicament. I'm not trying to "get out" of anything.

 

But you said it might have been red before you got into the intersection.

I can believe that a yellow light can be too short and depending on the circumstances you might have just been crossing when it finally turned red. But if it went from green, to yellow, and then red all in the 20 feet prior to the intersection, you were either speeding(you said you weren't), or the yellow is so unbelievably short it'd have to be an intersection where accidents happen constantly due to the light(and I'm sure someone else would have noticed by now).

 

http://www.highwayrobbery.net/

"DEFECT #2: YELLOW LIGHT TOO SHORT."

I'm not crazy haha. 

 

I'm sure that's happened in some places, doesn't mean it fits your case. Don't assume that website applies to every camera.

edit: I also find it funny that somehow "confusing intersections" are an excuse according to that site. If an intersection is "confusing" you should drive cautiously.

 

If you said this to me you would get a ticket and by the way yellow does not mean speed up.

 

I'm with the cop on this one.

That reminds me, this lame weather needs to clear up so the local PD gets the speed trap in front of my living room window up again. That stuff is great, a pair of 'em on bikes take turns pulling people over for 3-4 hours at a time like 6 feet from that window. Sometimes I'll just sit there watching tv with the window open and the blinds half shut cracking up at some of the things I hear outta drivers mouths.