ST. PETERS • Violators of St. Peters’ red-light camera law from now on should expect to get penalty points added to their drivers license records.
That’s the upshot of a vote by the Board of Aldermen to remove a city ban on assessment of points in state drivers license records for camera violations, said City Attorney Randy Weber.
The city’s decision to up the ante for people convicted under the camera law follows a recent court ruling that the old city ordinance conflicted with state law on the points issue.
Weber said aldermen in a unanimous vote Thursday night revised the law. The new version of the law took effect upon the mayor’s signature, he said.
People are also reading…
Hugh Eastwood, an attorney who challenged the St. Peters ordinance in court, said few if any other area cities with red-light cameras allow assessment of points.
“This is a significant escalation,” Eastwood said of the change in what St. Peters violators face. “I think what this shows is how addicted cities are to these revenues.”
The board’s move, however, left unclear what will happen to cases in St. Peters for people issued camera tickets before the ordinance was changed Thursday night.
Weber said people in such a situation should contact the municipal court clerk’s office. He declined to elaborate.
Eastwood had maintained that the court ruling, issued Oct. 30, would make it difficult for the city to obtain future convictions under the old ordinance.
In addition to revising the law, the city is appealing the ruling by St. Charles County Circuit Judge Ted House. That ruling pointed out that state law essentially says penalty points shall be assessed for any moving violation of a municipal ordinance.
Because the old St. Peters ordinance said no points shall be assessed, House ruled, it’s in conflict with the state law.
House, in dismissing a ticket issued to a St. Peters woman last fall, stopped short of actually voiding the ordinance.
House said he was guided by a decision by the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District that said a similar Florissant ordinance conflicts with state law on the penalty points issue.
The appeals court returned the Florissant case to a St. Louis County judge "for further proceedings consistent" with that opinion and to take up other issues.
The revised camera ordinance passed by St. Peters aldermen Thursday also makes some other changes — including increasing the maximum fine to $500 from $200.
House’s ruling is among a confusing thicket of court decisions and lawsuits on red-light cameras.
