Payment of van-cam About a third of the people who received the first batch of photo speeding citations last month have decided to pay the fine rather than go to court.
tickets lags
More people pay the fines in
advance for tickets issued by copsBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.comStatistics from the Hawaii State Judiciary released yesterday show that of the 420 citations assigned a court date of this Tuesday, 144 citations have already been paid.
Another 126 of those who were cited by the camera vans have sent in written statements that include declarations by the registered owner that someone else was driving the vehicle. The remaining 150 must either appear before a judge on Tuesday, the first day photo-enforcement cases will be heard, or risk a default judgment against them.
In comparison, 56 percent of motorists cited by the Honolulu Police Department over the last five years pay the fine rather than go to court. Out of 172,951 police citations issued from 1997 to 2001, records show 96,921 citations were paid prior to court.
During the hearings that start Tuesday, the court will review the citations, and the defendants will have an opportunity to admit or deny the allegations, according to Judiciary officials.
No prosecutor will be present during these hearings, and defendants are not required to be represented by an attorney.
The state's controversial photo-enforcement camera vans began giving out tickets Jan. 2.
Judiciary officials reminded registered owners of cited vehicles that if they were not the ones driving at the time of the citation, they will be asked to provide the driver's name, address and driver's license number. A signature from both parties is also required.
Those who contest the tickets and are not satisfied with the outcome of their hearings may request a trial within 30 days following the court's decision. The state will be represented by a prosecutor during trial.
The Traffic Violations Bureau is required to record moving violations such as the photo citations on a person's driving abstract. How this affects a person's driving record depends on their individual insurance company.