Judge dispenses fast justice on camera tickets

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

The afternoon soap opera known as Hawai'i Traffic Camera Court turned into a routine drama yesterday, with no new surprises or legal developments.

District Judge Russel Nagata handled 60 cases in just under 30 minutes yesterday, dispatching citation holders at a rate of one every 30 seconds.

Starting the second full week of hearings for those who have received the camera citations in the mail, Nagata accepted 24 written statements, issued 13 default judgments against those who didn't show up in court, and threw out nearly a dozen more cases for those accused of doing no more than 9 mph over the speed limit.

Unlike last week, however, Nagata did not dismiss any more cases on loopholes that had forced a four-day hiatus in the program.

Instead, Nagata told most of those who tried to present arguments yesterday ranging from technical defects in their citations to the fact that they weren't driving the car that the citations provided enough evidence to rule in favor of the state.

Citation holders were then given the option of paying their fines ($27 plus $5 for every mph over the speed limit) or asking for a trial. Most chose the trial, the first of which are scheduled for mid-April.

The House Finance Committee last night voted to approve a bill to replace the existing traffic enforcement law with one that allow the camera citations only if they clearly identify the driver, don't affect insurance rates and aren't paid for on a per-ticket basis.

The full Senate is considering another bill that would repeal the program entirely.

Advertiser staff writer Kevin Dayton contributed to this report.