• BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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    10 months ago

    This is why traffic cams in the US have had issues for years, and most of them are run privately, and issue “civil fines”.

    Because “civil fines” (taxes, under another name, same as “civil fees”) don’t have the legal issues of receiving a ticket.

    Tickets generally require interaction with an officer. Since cameras and their companies aren’t officers, they can’t generate a ticket/summons. So the gov end-runs this by using civil fees/fines, with the camera operators receiving upward of 85% of the fee.

    And being a fee/fine, it’s difficult to get out of, even if you’re innocent and pursue it in court.

    Of course, every jurisdiction is different, so it depends on the local legal structure.