On Thursday, Robert Ruehlman, a Hamilton County judge placed a permanent injunction on speed cameras in the Village of Elmwood Place. He said the cameras were a scam that drivers couldn’t win.
Since 2012, Cincinnati radio talk show hosts and locals have closely followed this case.
Elmwood Place had turned speeding into a booming cash business. The village had an agreement with Optotraffic, a private vendor that supplied speed cameras and mailed out speeding tickets.
In return, Optotraffic received 40% of all revenues related to its speeding tickets. By charging speeders $105 per infraction, both the village and Optotraffic earned thousands. And if a driver wanted to appeal, it would cost $25, which was “just a sham” said Judge Ruehlman in his decision.
Attorney Mike Allen filed a suit against Elmwood on behalf of drivers.
Allen said the cameras are unconstitutional because drivers can’t fairly contest them. He also says businesses and churches have both lost customers and members because of the tickets.
The standard speed limit in Elmwood is 25 mph.
Allen has said that other citizens may start challenging these cameras in their own communities.
Elmwood Place police Chief William Peskin said the village will appeal the decision.
More information about this story can be found on Cincinnati’s Fox 19 News.
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