Some drivers who got tickets through Cleveland鈥檚 traffic camera program want their money back, though the cameras went dark in 2014. Their case is now before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Drivers who leased cars or were driving employer-owned vehicles and got tickets as the cars鈥� owners filed a class action lawsuit in 2009, before the city鈥檚 law was changed to exclude them.
Gary Singletary represented the city of Cleveland. He told the justices no money is due back to the drivers in the lawsuit.
鈥淭hey knew they had violated the speed limit. They admitted they violated the speed limit by paying," Singletary said.
But the drivers鈥� attorney Paul Flowers argued they didn鈥檛 appeal because hiring a lawyer was necessary, the city sent out collection notices and added fines when there were appeals, and appeals were denied anyway.
鈥淚t was a foregone conclusion, and sure, that administrative appeal was free and easy and so forth. But the rest of it is not," Flowers said.
The drivers want $4.1 million in fines and $1.8 million in interest from 2005 to 2009 refunded.
