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Traffic Camera Captures Woman Driving With Her Phone on Her Lap (Face Down), The State Mailed Her a $1251 'Public Safety' Ticket (www.gadgetreview.com)
submitted 2 days ago by spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@lemmy.world
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A woman drives with both hands on the wheel. Her phone sits face-down on her lap. No officer pulls her over. No lights flash. Weeks later, a $1,251 ticket arrives in the mail. The evidence: a single frame from a Camera surveillance app. The charge: phone use while driving.

Automated camera companies market their devices as automated license plate readers — tools for catching stolen cars, flagging warrants, and aiding serious investigations.

Sold as a Crime Tool. Used as a Fine Machine.

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[-] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

To be clear I live in Texas so maybe we do things differently wherever you live. We definitely go to court and plead for traffic violations.

[-] aquovie@lemmy.cafe 1 points 17 hours ago

MA. Tickets have "I'd like to pay" or "I'd like a hearing". No mention of guilt.

Hearings are civil, not criminal, and you represent yourself in front of a magistrate (baby judge). If you tried to represent yourself in a criminal case, the judge would give you a very hard time about that choice. Either way, you don't call witnesses, there's no cross examination, and no discovery.

I don't get where people are going full Law&Order, demanding to see their accuser.

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2026
923 points (96.9% liked)

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