Appeal of red light camera case from Aventura hits dead end at Florida Supreme Court
The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to take up a case about whether Aventura’s red-light camera program violates state traffic laws.
Motorist Lee Stein went to the Supreme Court in September after the 3rd District Court of Appeal backed the city of Aventura in the dispute — one of numerous legal fights in recent years about red-light cameras in the state.
A panel of the South Florida appeals court in June overturned a Miami-Dade County judge’s ruling against the city. As is common, the Supreme Court did not explain its reasons for deciding against hearing the case. The move effectively let stand the 3rd District Court of Appeal decision.
The case stemmed from Stein’s receiving a citation for failing to stop at a red light in 2014 and focused on guidelines used by Aventura in deciding whether to cite motorists based on camera images. Aventura and other cities have different guidelines, leading Stein to argue, in part, that Aventura violated a state requirement of uniform traffic laws.
But in a 14-page brief this month, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office argued that the Supreme Court should not take up the case. The brief said the appeals court’s decision did not conflict with any legal precedents in red-light camera cases.
