Photo Radar - got served

[Wiluven]

I was just served (never got anything in the mail) 2 photo radar tickets for speeding. The tickets were taken one right after the other and it says I was doing 73 and 66 in a 55. The speed limit on that road was changed about a month later from 55 to 65 - so if it happened now, I wouldn't of gotten clicked for either.

What's my best option here to deal with these?

[Bashton]

I just wanted to let you know that photo radar is one of the biggest rip-offs that our police officials take part in. Anyway, this is how photo radar works. The cameras or vans that are set up to take a picture of you driving by doing what ever it says you were doing are not actually police department owned, they are contracted to catch drivers for the police department. The ticket that you received in the mail was not officially presented to you by a representative of the issuing department or the court. Therefore it is not official and they have no idea that you even received it, just throw it away. You will receive another one in a month or so, throw it away also. Roughly 2-4 weeks after that someone will come knocking on your door to hand you a ticket personally and to get your signature that you received it. If you are not home when he arrives to serve you, or if you can avoid being caught home, you're home free. This is easy to do. How often do you have strangers come knocking on your door? If you do not recognize the person at your door, do not answer it and he cannot leave it without actually handing it to you. If someone else answers the door, have them say that you no longer live there and that they have no clue as to your current whereabouts. The court needs to know that you received the ticket and if all of their attempts to issue this ticket to you fail, then it will be dropped. None of this is illegal to do, it is simply a way around their way around the system. This may sound risky, but I have done it a few times and there is nothing that they can do to keep it open after all of their attempts fail. I hope that this helps. Good luck!

[Wiluven]

I do appreciate the info - However I knew most of it. I've dealt with one of these before and just threw the ticket away and never heard another thing about it. Unfortunately this time I answered the door not knowing I had a photo ticket (never received anything in the mail) and got handed the tickets.

When the guy 'served me' - I never signed for anything. He just handed me some paperwork and that was that.

[Wiluven]

Also another question... now that I been served, if I paid the fines would it go on my driving record (freeway photo radar)? If I choose to fight it in court and lose would it go on my driving record?

[The Occultist]

ATTENTION NEWBIES: this site requires that you include the name of your state as part of posting your legal questions. Please do not try and claim that you did not know this as there is a prompt upon starting a thread that specifically requests the name of your state.

[Wiluven]

Many apologies - Arizona, Phoenix specifically.

[Zigner]

So, your "advice" is for our OP to either ignore, or actively evade this? Really?

Originally Posted by Bashton

I just wanted to let you know that photo radar is one of the biggest rip-offs that our police officials take part in. Anyway, this is how photo radar works. The cameras or vans that are set up to take a picture of you driving by doing what ever it says you were doing are not actually police department owned, they are contracted to catch drivers for the police department. The ticket that you received in the mail was not officially presented to you by a representative of the issuing department or the court. Therefore it is not official and they have no idea that you even received it, just throw it away. You will receive another one in a month or so, throw it away also. Roughly 2-4 weeks after that someone will come knocking on your door to hand you a ticket personally and to get your signature that you received it. If you are not home when he arrives to serve you, or if you can avoid being caught home, you're home free. This is easy to do. How often do you have strangers come knocking on your door? If you do not recognize the person at your door, do not answer it and he cannot leave it without actually handing it to you. If someone else answers the door, have them say that you no longer live there and that they have no clue as to your current whereabouts. The court needs to know that you received the ticket and if all of their attempts to issue this ticket to you fail, then it will be dropped. None of this is illegal to do, it is simply a way around their way around the system. This may sound risky, but I have done it a few times and there is nothing that they can do to keep it open after all of their attempts fail. I hope that this helps. Good luck!

[Wiluven]

That is the advice for anyone who gets photo radar tickets in Arizona -- however I am now past that point as I've been served. I now no longer have the option of throwing away the ticket they mail out and dodging a process server.

[Meatstick]

Well since you have been served you must now appear. The good side of this story is in Arizona DPS Photo tickets are a civil fine only, no points assessed to your driving record. The bad side is if found guilty you will pay around $185 per ticket plus process server fee's.

If the state has holes in their case, by all means request trial. If your unsure I would consult an attorney who is familiar with photo enforcement.

Good luck;

Meatstick