Maryland County Wants Camera Lawsuit Dismissed

May 18, 2010

Montgomery County, Maryland is trying to get rid of a lawsuit charging that the way it operates its speed camera program is illegal.

The lawsuit says the county is breaking Maryland law by paying a contractor by the ticket. Affiliated Computer Services records, prints and mails citations and collects ticket payments. It gets $16.25 per ticket.

Maryland law prohibits per-ticket payments to camera operators, but officials say the county actually operates the camera system.

Lawyer Timothy Leahy, who filed the class action lawsuit in 2008, said the county’s motion for dismissal is “a last-ditch effort to avoid the lawsuit.” He believes the case will go to trial in July.