Tinley Residents Take Village to Court over Red-Light Camera Tickets

Tinley Park is under scrutiny for its red light camera program as some residents allege in a lawsuit that “politically connected people” had their violations ignored.

In the suit filed Tuesday, residents Norman Elftmann and Jennifer Musser claim the village did not issue tickets to relatives and associates of village officials, and also did not provide due process for citizens who were issued tickets, reports the Daily Southtown.

Steve Eberhardt—local attorney and longtime foe of former Mayor Ed Zabrocki—leads the legal charge against the village.

The list of those whose tickets were allegedly rejected includes “the landscaper who cuts (Zabrocki’s) grass,” village employees in village vehicles, wives of Tinley Park police officers, a firefighter and a vehicle “owned by a local car dealership whose owner was a former Village Trustee,” according to the Tribune.

In emails cited in the lawsuit, village employees learned of how they could push for their violations to be rejected.

If the claims prove true, the Village would have violated residents’ constitutional rights, according to the suit. Eberhardt is seeking class-action status and calling for the court to refund plaintiffs all traffic fees paid. He also seeks damages and attorney fees.

Mayor Dave Seaman called the lawsuit “frivolous.”

“We are seeing a continued pattern of questionable litigation,” Seaman said in an email to Patch. “Mr. Eberhardt has already sued, or sued on behalf of other plaintiffs, the Village in two other lawsuits related to the issue of red light cameras. This is in addition to 5 other lawsuits he has filed, directly or indirectly, against the Village of Tinley Park.

“What we can say is that our police officers are not directed to selectively enforce, or not enforce, violations for anyone who is ‘politically connected’, whether that be for a red light violation or any other violation of a Village ordinance. It is unfortunate that the Village has to continue to expend countless hours and resources to address these frivolous lawsuits.”

more via the Tribune