Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Suggestions for cross-country trip

[ken rentiers (rentiers]

On Jul 14, 2009, at 12:16 AM, Robert W. Garven Jr. wrote:

> AZ just put in 800 fixed and 400 mobile radars, which would make me
> detour the entire state. AAA even labeled the entire state as a
> maximum enforcement zone. What's up with that, all that open space,
> what a pity....

Photo Radar sucks. It's all about money. There are things you can do.

1. Use a good radar detector, Watch for brake lights from the locals.
2, My Garmin is loaded with a POI d/l that has all the national red  
light cameras and speed cameras. Updated frequently.
3. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Pull the brim down. Prevent driver face  
recognition.
4. If you don't accept a registered letter they have to serve you. If  
you are out-of-state they won't send a process server around. The  
cities of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are not making personal  
service to people who live outside of Maricopa County. Mesa is  
serving throughout the state.
No Arizona cities are making personal service on photo radar or red  
light camera citations to people that live outside the state.In  
addition, none of the departments are making personal service to  
anyone that lists a PO Box as their mailing address on their vehicle  
registrations.

5.Once you leave your home state lose the front plate. None of the  
southern states use them. There are 20 no-front-plate states fwiw. AZ  
is a no-front-plate state.



Governor Janet Napolitano (D) was responsible for pushing the freeway  
speed camera program through the AZ legislature without referendum to  
help deal with a mounting budget deficit. Napolitano is now head of  
the US Department of Homeland Security for the Obama administration.  
May God help us all.


http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/arizona-freeway-speed- 
cameras/

"If Valley residents would stop traveling out of state, speeding in  
friends cars, going to the hospital or moving, the current photo  
ticket system may work just fine. In its current state, any of these  
everyday activities could land drivers in Zanoff's position.

The ideal process of photo-radar enforcement is on the surface  
simple. Redflex, a private company engaged by the city, snaps the  
photo and mails the ticket. The accused speeder then sends a check to  
the city. Redflex receives about half the money collected as a  
commission.

The problems occur when humans act like humans. If an alleged speeder  
is out of the country, has moved addresses or is in the hospital, the  
court considers the letter ignored and sends a legal process server,  
who gets paid per delivered citation.

By state law, the process server can leave the citation at an  
individual's home "with some person of suitable age and discretion  
then residing therein."

The server then submits a delivery affidavit to the court, even if  
the process server left the citation on the porch, with the  
landscaper or with a nine-year-old. A hearing date is then scheduled,  
and when the registered vehicle owners don't show, their licenses are  
suspended, even if they never knew of the citation and even if they  
weren't the actual the drivers.

Scottsdale's two photo ticket judges, Hebert Pierpan and Ray Taylor,  
see thousands of photo ticket cases every month. Every ignored or  
challenged ticket of Scottsdale's nearly 140,000 estimated photo  
tickets from 2006 will pass under one of their two gavels. Needless  
to say, it's unrealistic for the judges to scrutinize each "served"  
citation.

Improperly Served

The common advice to ignore mailed photo tickets, while technically  
legal, is at the root of many suspended licenses. The resulting  
deliveries from process servers land many accused speeders with a  
suspended license. If the process server hears or even smells human  
activity at the residence, he can attach the citation to the front  
door and move on to his next stop. If the drivers never actually see  
the ticket, their licenses will be suspended when they fail to show  
up in court.

Jeff Evert, president of the Arizona Process Servers Association and  
one of 548 registered process servers in Maricopa County, is familiar  
with complaints from photo ticket deliveries. "I have gotten a call  
more than once from people who were served with a photo-radar ticket  
and say they never saw it," he says. Evert adds that some companies  
bid municipal serving contracts down as low as $7 or $9 per accepted  
delivery. Process servers working at that low rate of pay may not be  
as aware of the law.



Chandler resident John Wilantowicz is one driver who wasn't willing  
to concede. At his first hearing, Wilantowicz showed Judge Taylor  
first that he wasn't the photographed driver and second stated that  
he had mailed proof which verified he wasn't the driver by the  
required date.

Judges Taylor and Pierpan both pushed his license suspension through  
despite these facts. Below are quotes from Wilantowicz's court  
proceeding.

Wilantowicz: "I did respond to it. On the 17th I responded."

Judge Pierpan: "You are in a default status... You have one option,  
and you probably won't like that option, that is to pay the fine."

Wilantowicz: "But I'm not guilty. I've complied. I've taken the steps  
to... I sent the letter, stating who the driver was..."

Judge Pierpan: "Well that's not a matter before the court... The only  
option is to pay the fine."

Wilantowicz: "But there's gotta be something, if I'm not guilty."

Judge Pierpan: "Guilt isn't a matter before the court. It's a matter  
of default."

Wilantowicz: "If I pay the default judgment, would that mean I'm  
guilty of speeding?"

Judge Pierpan: "Well, it would go down that way, yes, sir."