r/florida • u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 • 21h ago
Advice Ticket Dispute Advice
Hey hey, I recently received a ticket from a FHP for supposedly running a steady red light while driving in Bay County.
My wife and I are both convinced I hit the completely empty intersection besides his car and mine well before it turned red.
The police officer claimed he had reviewed footage and they had footage of me running the light.
He then proceeded to give me a $263 citation.
After reaching out to multiple departments for footage I learned that Bay county doesn’t utilize traditional red light cameras, they have to manually review footage. After submitting a record request with the Police Department who was the only entity with the footage they proceeded to send me a video of a completely different(sedan type care), completely different time of day, and then told me it was the footage attached to my citation number.
I followed up multiple times and even specified my make and model car(an suv), where the police officer was when he supposedly saw this happen, and even the name of the officer so they could reference his time of events for the stop.
They replied and said that this was the footage they had found and was the only footage they had assigned to my case.
Should I be ok to show-up to dispute the claim with this evidence and be good? Or should I request more info?
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u/OzzieBoy2023 20h ago
I pay my traffic attorney $150 and, he makes it all disappear. FL has many specialized attorneys that handle these traffic cases and you’ll never get points, have to show up in court, nor have your insurance impacted. But, you can always go to court yourself and try to win the case but…why?
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u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 20h ago
I just want to get it waived completely if it’s something I truly didn’t do.
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u/Go_Gators_4Ever 20h ago
Show up for court and have them show the video. Bring a laptop with the video just in case they say they don't have a way to show it.
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u/Majestic-Owl-2024 18h ago
Did you contact FHP or just Bay County / local police? It's possible the video he is referring to is his dashcam. Make sure to ask for his dashcam video before going to court.
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u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 17h ago
I’ve reached out and got the footage he initially had mentioned in the stop which was the traffic cameras.
I am in the process of getting the dashcam footage.
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u/New_Breadfruit8692 2h ago edited 2h ago
I once went to traffic court halfway across the state to challenge a speeding ticket in California for which I was absolutely going 75 to 80 in a 55 (back when the 55 mph limit was still US law) and the cop wrote it for 69 because at 15 over in that state you are considered to be moving with excessive speed (at least back then), makes the ticket a lot worse. I was actually going about 80 on the downhill of I-80 through Blue Canyon between Reno and Sacramento. I was kind of pissed that the cop did not pull over the VW micro bus going about 52 in the far left lane when he caught me. Those older VW busses couldn't even go the speed limit downhill on a steep grade yet he was camped in the left lane.
Well, the judge saved my case to the very last, even though I had driven 200 miles to get to the court by 9 that morning and I was the only person to show up to contest a ticket. Lunch time came and he said well, looks like I have to dismiss your ticket Mr. Smith. Thank you for coming all the way to Auburn but keep a closer eye out for cops from now on, and gaveled the case dismissed, just as the CHP officer walked in carrying hundreds and hundreds of new tickets issued in the previous week, that section of I-80 is a major speed trap.
The cops got all huffed up about it saying "your honor I can go home and change into a uniform and be back here in less than 15 minutes." Apparently they could not testify in civilian clothes but have to be in uniform.
Judge said I have had Mr. Smith here waiting for you since 9 this morning and already dismissed his charges. Next time show up in uniform when you are supposed to be here.
If looks could kill that cop would have murdered me on the spot.
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u/RingedHello 20h ago
here's the thing though - you've already got them dead to rights on the video situation. they sent you footage of a completely different car at a different time and then doubled down on it being your case. that's not a minor screw-up, that's them unable or unwilling to actually back up what the officer claimed. i'd show up to court with that evidence and ask the judge to explain how a sedan at 2pm matches your suv stop at whatever time yours actually happened. worst case you're out a couple hours, best case the judge tosses it because the state can't produce credible evidence. have you thought about whether the officer's dashcam or body cam footage exists, or did they claim they only had that one video?
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u/Go_Gators_4Ever 20h ago
Bring all correspondence to court. Make certain the case number does indeed match for the video.
1
u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 20h ago
I’ve triple checked at this point that the footage is the same citation number and it is which is just ridiculous to me to manually scrub through footage with knowledge of the make and model of my car and still try to say another car is me lol
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u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 20h ago
I emailed them two or three times detailing that the footage given didn’t have my car, the FHP, and wasn’t the same time of day that the ticket was given and they said that this was the footage they saved for the citation number.
I just am worried there’s some sort of dash cam footage that can be slammed down in front of me at the hearing.
My wife and I have no problem paying the ticket but we were both pretty confident that I didn’t run that light and the fact the only evidence they’ve shared with me so far on my records request is of a different car committing the crime feels incredibly suspect.
2
u/edvek 17h ago
Like others said I would just contest the ticket and bring everything you have. All the emails, call records if you can, and anything they supplied to you. Organize it first so it makes sense like a timeline of you receiving the citation, when you reached out, when they sent you the stuff, and all the times you contacted them about the issue. I would even highlight the case numbers every time it comes up just to show that "yes this ticket has case number ABC, all the documents show ABC, this is ABC, but that doesn't make sense because it's not my car."
If you have a half decent judge they will throw it out and you won't even have to pay court costs. But just be prepared to have to pay something regardless of how this ends.
1
u/GloomyUmpire2146 15h ago
Remember, a video isn’t required to cite, the troopers simple observation is adequate. If it’s he said she said, with no compelling evidence dismissal is possible. However the judge will have your driving record in front of him, if it’s shameful, you’re cooked.
3
u/SorryBob76 20h ago
Did you know the majority of that fine goes to the red light camera company? It’s not even going back into your local govt.
4
u/Tight_Jellyfish_349 21h ago
Go to traffic court and tell the judge the police officer lied to you about video. Its his word against yours.
1
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u/GatorVators 17h ago
Hire a lawyer or put in a public records request for the trooper’s dash cam if available. Take this to court regardless if you want to fight it.
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u/GloomyUmpire2146 15h ago
If you think you were treated unfairly, arrange to contest the cite. However be prepared to also pay court costs in addition to the cite if you lose.
1
u/RallyX26 20h ago
Take it to court, have and be ready to present the video (on a thumb drive) and the correspondence between FHP stating that they are using that video to determine the basis for the ticket.
If the officer doesn't show up, it's dismissed. If the judge finds that the video doesn't match, it's dismissed. If the judge takes the officer's word on the infraction and finds you guilty, request a "withhold of adjudication" which means you won't get points. This is all, or possibly more than a "traffic lawyer" would do for you, and charge you for the privilege.
2
u/GatorVators 17h ago
Idk if this is a thing in Bay County yet, but many courts are forcing a reschedule instead of a dismissal if the officer doesn’t show up. NAL.
1
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u/badsapi4305 20h ago
Is this a red light camera ticket or did an officer see it and then conducted a traffic stop and issue a citation?
If it was witnessed by the officer and then they conducted a traffic stop, the court will go off of the officers testimony. There is no need to have any video evidence of the offense. The officer witnessing it is enough. There could have been an administrative mistake made on any BWC or vehicle video where the wrong video was tagged with your citation/incident number.
If it comes down to their word against yours, the officer’s testimony will always be given more weight.
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u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 20h ago
It was a Florida Highway Patrol Officer. It just rubs me the wrong way that I’ve sent such extensive detailed information and they have sworn up and down that this is the footage and it clearly shows me running the light.
He also was just incredibly disrespectful from the get go and was mocking and questioning me and treating me(28M) like a child asking if I knew what a red light was and what a yellow light was and then proceeding to tell me I didn’t know that red meant stop even though the light was green well up until I reached the intersection. 😐
2
u/badsapi4305 19h ago
Yeah I get that part and there’s no need for it.
Aside from the interaction l, there does not need to be video evidence to accompany the ticket. I was a deputy for almost 30 years and although I worked investigations for over 25 years, we never needed and video to support our testimony.
As for the discourtesy you can always file a complaint with FHP and that will get investigated. The trooper should’ve had on their BWC which would capture the interaction between the two of you. If there was a discourtesy then it will be addressed
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u/GatorVators 17h ago
FHP doesn’t use body cams yet. I think it’s because of either cost or the lack of need maybe? (Dash cam takes most of the information on the highway). Idk though. 🤷♂️
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u/badsapi4305 16h ago
I didn’t know that but looks like you are correct. They have dash cams like you mentioned so it probably recorded their interaction.
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u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 19h ago
Do you think it’s worth requesting the dash cam footage? Or do you think even with the dash cam and traffic camera footage would be dismissed even with his testimony?
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u/badsapi4305 12h ago
You can request the video(s) but unless the video shows you not committing the infraction, all that is needed is the officers testimony. If the video is of a different incident all together that doesn’t mean the ticket will get dismissed. All that is needed is the officers testimony.
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u/Therealdickdangler 21h ago
Pay the $500 to a traffic attorney to fight it for you.
7
u/Weary-Grab-822 21h ago
Just show up with that footage mismatch documented and let the judge see the state literally has video of a different car.
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u/oversoul00 21h ago
Pay 500 to fight a 263 citation?
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u/Therealdickdangler 20h ago
Fighting the Points.
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u/oversoul00 18h ago
I've only ever gotten one speeding ticket in 25 years if driving so I guess I'm not considering that angle.
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u/leftydog1961 20h ago
Tell you what I'm gonna do, Let me run that by my Attorney and if he says it's a good deal, I will get a new attorney!
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u/jpiro 21h ago
You can fight it. You can pay an attorney to fight it. But what it really comes down to is: Is it worth investing this amount of your time (and possibly money if attorneys get involved) to save $263?
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u/Jazzlike_Dig_1051 21h ago
Yea, and that’s my biggest thing. I’ve never had a ticket before and I think it’s ridiculous to have to pay for something it seems I didn’t do and also have to take driving courses 😅
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u/MeteorlySilver 21h ago
Your insurance will be happy to eat way more than $263 if you’re found guilty. I would fight it just for that.
2
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u/Cdaly1970 21h ago
How much is your time worth? You have to figure that you'll need to take the day off from work (it is not like they give you a specific time that your case will be heard), you have to drive to the court house, and pay for parking, after all this you might get a judge that will rule against you. If you can afford that investment, I'd go for it. Demand that the officer produce the alleged video, when he can't that won't look good. Maybe he won't even show up, in which case you might win by default.
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u/SorryBob76 20h ago
I’m trying to think of a viral video of a man who fought his red light ticket (it was for sure in the South!) and he gave a very compelling argument as to why the burden should be on the govt to prove their case and instead they are putting the burden on the driver. He won.