On April 23, 2013, Baltimore City announced that it will throw out more than 6,000 speed and red-light tickets. Yes, you read that correctly.
As reported by The Baltimore Sun, the city is relinquishing the opportunity to collect more than $300,000 in fines because its former contractor has stopped coming to court to defend the tickets. And yes, you read that correctly, too.
Baltimore City transportation officials claim that Xerox State and Local Solutions has failed to provide the evidence necessary to mount a defense in court. Without this proof, the city says it cannot fight the ticket appeals. Xerox, however, is just as quick to point the finger, insisting it has supplied officials with all essential data.
Xerox’s contract with the city ended on December 31, but the company continued to assist Baltimore for more than 90 days to facilitate the transition to another vendor. Xerox insists it informed Baltimore City that its court representation would end on April 8. Of course, transportation officials argue differently, citing non-responsive company representatives as the root of the problem.
This is just the latest issue to plague Baltimore City’s dysfunctional speed camera program, coming only days after the city shut down the program after acknowledging a glitch with cameras provided by the new vendor. Officials voided more than 500 tickets due to this programming error. In addition, over the past two weeks, judges have dismissed 600 speed camera tickets due to a lack of evidence.
Now over 4,000 speed and 2,000 red light citation holders await a letter in the mail, voiding the charges. As Baltimore City and Xerox continue to squabble in the “blame game,” the ticketed rejoice in the mass dismissal.
They are enjoying every accused speeder’s dream come true.
