Although most drivers in Missouri would rather see a resolution in the case of Tupper v. the City of St. Louis, which challenges the enforcement of red-light cameras in certain municipalities, good news was delivered to the nearly 900,000 drivers who received tickets due to the automated ticketing system.

The good news was that a settlement had been reached with American Traffic Solutions, the company that is operating the cameras. The settlement grants a 20 percent refund to drivers who had received tickets from the system. Although many alleged violators would like to see all of their ticket refunded — especially in cases where the traffic violation was issued in error — some are glad that there has at least been some progress on the issue of red-light cameras in the state.

As you may or may not know, the case of Tupper v. the City of St. Louis was taken up by the Missouri Supreme Court last year in an effort to offer clarification to cities across the state. The case questioned whether the use of red-light cameras in certain municipalities was actually against state law. The lower courts have been unable to offer a concise answer because of their conflicting rulings, which prompted our state’s highest court to take up the issue.

As we have said before on this blog, the government must follow the laws of the land just as closely as its citizens do. As most of you will agree, the government should not have carte blanche to make up laws that violate a citizen’s rights — whether it’s for something as simple as a traffic violation to more serious crimes like DUIs. The case of Tupper v. the City of St. Louis highlights this fact and is one that is worthy of a resolution.

Sources: KMBC News, “Drivers eligible for partial refund for red-light camera tickets,” Kisha Henry, Jan. 8, 2015

The Riverfront Times, “Missouri Supreme Court Takes On St. Louis City Red-Light-Camera Case,” Lindsay Toler, Jan. 26, 2014