513-445-9600Coverage of New Miami Speed Cameras Ruling
A Butler County judge has ruled the village of New Miami must repay speeders every penny of the $3 million it collected from drivers who were caught by the former stand-alone speed cameras.
Judge Michael Oster issued his ruling on Wednesday.
“This court has already found council ordinance 1917 as adopted by the village of New Miami to be unconstitutional,” Oster wrote. “Accordingly, any collection or retention of the monies collected under the ordinance was wrongful. Based upon the aforementioned established Ohio law, this action sub justice is therefore not a civil suit for money damages; but rather, an action to correct the unjust enrichment of the village of New Miami.”
WCPO:
This small Butler County village must repay $3 million to drivers ticketed by old stand-alone speed cameras, a judge ruled Wednesday.
That’s every penny 44,993 the drivers paid in fines during the 15 months the cameras were rolling, WCPO media partner the Journal-News reported.
New Miami’s speed cameras were found to be unconstitutional in March 2014, and the case has been in and out of common pleas and appellate courts ever since. The Ohio Supreme Court declined a review of the case last summer.
The village’s legal bill stands at around $100,000 and Englert said he believes this has been a good and necessary expenditure of taxpayer’s money.
