Texas Judge Indicted For Making Secret 10-Year Deal With Red Light Camera Company
from the perverts-and-their-incentives dept
The market for red light cameras obviously can't sustain itself, even with certain legislators drooling over the prospect of installing these revenue generators at every intersection.
Part of the problem is the technology is still incredibly fallible. Cameras have issued tickets to walls, parked vehicles, and many, many drivers obeying all traffic laws. Millions of dollars of refunds have been paid out by municipalities who once thought they'd have to do nothing more than sit back and let the cash roll in.
Citizens aren't fans, so legislators have often pushed these through with a minimum of discussion. Major players in the traffic cam industry lobby hard for placement of their products -- sometimes going as far as to engage in good old analog bribery and corruption.
Officials, both public and private, have been indicted (and convicted) for their participation in the proliferation of traffic cams. Not that the cameras themselves were necessarily illegal, but because the only thing better than an uptick in public funds is an uptick in private funds.
Out in Texas, a judge is facing charges for sneaking ATS (American Traffic Solutions) in through the back door.
A Texas judge arrested for making a secret deal committing his county to a 10-year contract with a red-light camera company was suspended Tuesday for allegedly blowing right past the state's Sunshine Laws.
Judge Joel Patrick Baker of Smith County was arrested last week, after an activist group complained his 2014 meeting with American Traffic Solutions officials violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. Baker was charged with three misdemeanor counts of violating the act.
Baker allegedly hooked ATS with an exclusive 10-year deal to install its cameras in Smith County -- despite the technology being banned in Texas municipalities, despite county residents being deeply opposed to the cameras, and despite never consulting with county commissioners.
Now, Baker is suspended and facing three counts of violating the state's open records law. ATS did not comment so presumably its illegally-approved cameras are still in use -- even if it's now apparent that the tickets issued by the company will have approximately zero legal weight.
When an industry's market starts drying up, it will often turn to legislators in hopes of propping its business model up. In this case, ATS skipped most of the legislative process and found a judge willing to bypass local statutes on its behalf. If an industry can't support itself, it needs to stagger off in the direction of the graveyard, not seek assistance in screwing taxpayers in increasingly creative ways.
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Filed Under: corruption, joel patrick baker, red light cameras, texas
Companies: ats
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How does the government work on Texas?
It seems like more of an executive/legislative sort of role rather than a judicial one.
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Re: How does the government work on Texas?
Am from Texas!
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Re: How does the government work on Texas?
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Re: Re: How does the government work on Texas?
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Re: How does the government work on Texas?
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Re: How does the government work on Texas?
Each county has a "Court of Commisioners" as the senior elected body. Each court has 5 members. 4 of them are titled "Commisioner", and the 5th, who presides over the group, is titled "County Judge". Despite the titles, they do no work of a modern court.
Analogous to a city government, the Court of Commisioners is the city council, the Commisioners are the councilmen, and the County Judge is the mayor.
So this guy is accused of cutting a sweet-heart deal and violating Texas Open Meeting laws but conducting Commision business in private instead of public with proper notice.
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Re:
http://www.texascounties4u.org/desc/judge.html
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Of course, they're going to charge...
Anyone? Bueller?
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Re: Of course, they're going to charge...
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Re: Of course, they're going to charge...
We hypocritically prosecute businessmen for doing business in ways that are accepted overseas but don't seem to be bothered when it involves gov't procurement procedures, military contract bidding or "please just shovel the money into these dumptrucks" union demands.
It just seems sleazier when the scale is smaller and somehow more acceptable when the bid/contract/procurement specs are hundreds of pages.
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East Texas
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Stagger off to the graveyard?
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Stagger off to the graveyard?
If the RIAA can't support itself, it needs to stagger off in the direction of the graveyard, not seek assistance in screwing musicians in increasingly creative ways.
If the MPAA can't support itself, it needs to stagger off in the direction of the graveyard, not seek assistance in screwing actors/actresses in increasingly creative ways.
If the cable companies can't support themselves, they needs to stagger off in the direction of the graveyard, not seek assistance in screwing their customers in increasingly creative ways.
See what I did there?
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Re: Stagger off to the graveyard?
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Why would they?
'Should' doesn't mean 'will', and in this case they really have nothing to lose. Sure the judge might get a slap on the wrist or two, but will the company suffer any penalties from this? Hah, not a chance. They almost managed to smuggle their 'service' into the area and the profits that resulted from it, and sure they got caught this time but there's always somewhere else.
They have absolutely no reason not to try stunts like this, and so long as that remains the case you can be sure that they will continue to attempt it.
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I say paintball guns rather than real ones because they're quieter and therefore would draw less attention when used.
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I expect that, eventually, some bright fellow will have a high school kid climb up the pole and simply apply duct tape across the lens opening.
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County Judges in Texas
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Smith County's corrupt school zone camera deal
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Red Light Running is the Life Blood of Automated Enforcement
They sell their tech. to the public via a narrative of "saving lives" but behind this facade is a morbid business that profits from tragedy and fear mongering.
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