Defense Wins Case Involving Juno Beach Speed Van

A Palm Beach judge has ruled against the use of a high-tech speed van to write speeding tickets in Juno Beach, according to a report in the Palm Beach Post.

As our Palm Beach traffic ticket defense attorneys wrote last week on our Florida Criminal Lawyer Blog, nearly 10 percent of the state’s traffic tickets are issued in Palm Beach County.

The court ruled utilizing the traffic vans to catch speeders goes beyond state law and is therefore illegal. The case was brought by a motorist who paid a $150 fine after being mailed a citation after his vehicle was photographed speeding in Juno Beach.

The ruling could impact hundreds of other motorists who were cited by the van. A class-action lawsuit has been filed. The vans, like red-light cameras, only photograph the vehicle and ticket the owner. No proof is offered that the owner was driving.

As we reported last month on our Florida Criminal Lawyer Blog, an argument used by Leifert & Leifert led to the dismissal of dozens of red-light camera tickets in Palm Beach.

The controversial van had been parked on Juno Beach’s swales for about a year. It issued $1 million worth of tickets to motorists from 40 states.

The town also has two red-light cameras that became operational Dec. 1. Tickets for red-light violators are $158.

The Juno Beach town attorney and town manager did not return calls seeking comment or refused to comment when The Post inquired about the issue.

Here you can view reader-nominated speed traps in Palm Beach County.

If you are facing a red-light camera ticket or a ticket for speeding or other traffic infraction in Broward or Palm Beach counties, contact the Law Offices of Leifert & Leifert, a Partnership of Former Prosecutors, for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1.888.5.DEFEND.