State Circuit Court Judge Upholds Kansas City Red Light Safety Camera Ordinance

State Circuit Court Judge Upholds

Kansas City Red Light Safety Camera Ordinance

Scottsdale, AZ-- In yet another court ruling, the use of red-light safety cameras in Missouri has been upheld as legal and constitutional.

The ruling by Jackson County Circuit Court Judge J. Dale Youngs on Thursday found Kansas City’s red-light safety camera ordinance aligns with Missouri state law, and provides the necessary legal protections guaranteed under the Missouri and U.S. Constitutions.

Judge Young’s decision dismissed with prejudice the class action lawsuit filed by two plaintiffs against Kansas City and the city’s red-light safety camera provider, American Traffic Solutions. Among their claims, the plaintiffs alleged the city’s ordinance was in conflict with state law and unconstitutional.

In his ruling, the judge wrote, “The Court finds the arguments set out in the defendants’ (American Traffic Solutions and The City of Kansas City) motion the most persuasive, and adopts them in coming to the conclusion that defendants’ motion should be … granted.”

Thursday’s dismissal marks the third class-action lawsuit challenging cities’ red-light safety camera ordinances to fail this year. Judge Youngs’ ruling is consistent with four other recent rulings including the Missouri Court of Appeals’ ruling that upheld the Creve Coeur red-light safety camera ordinance (see, Nottebrok v. City of Creve Coeur, Missouri, et al., 2011), and with St. Louis County Circuit Court judges’ decisions involving similar lawsuits against Creve Coeur and Florissant (see, Ballard, et al. v. City of Creve Coeur, Missouri, et a., and Unverferth, et al. v. City of Florissant, Missouri, et al., 2012). In 2009, a federal judge found the city of Arnold’s red-light safety camera ordinance to be both legal and constitutional (see, Kilper, et al. v. City of Arnold, Missouri, et al., 2009).

About American Traffic Solutions:

ATS is proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. ATS has more than 3,000 installed red-light and speed safety cameras serving more than 30 million people. ATS has contracts in nearly 300 communities in 21 states and Washington, D.C., including: St. Louis, Kansas City and more than two dozen other Missouri cities. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com or www.PlatePass.com.  To view video that serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers that red-light runners present to our family and children; visit ATS on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ATSRoadSafety