Former officer challenges camera program

A NEW LAWSUIT IS FILED AGAINST THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND ITS CONTROVERSIAL RED LIGHT AND SPEED CAMERAS BUT THIS TIME — A TWIST ONE OF THE PLAINTIFFS IS A FORMER POLICE CAPTAIN SHELTON DODSON IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM WITH THE DETAILS SHELTON FORMER CAPTAIN SONNY LEEPER WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE TODAY CHALLENGING A SPEED VAN CITATION HE WON AS THE CITY ADMITTED THEY MADE A MISTAKE BUT HE BELIEVES PART OF THE SYSTEM IS FLAWED AND IS WILLING TO CHALLENGE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM IN COURT TO MAKE SURE CITIZENS ARE GETTING A FAIR SHAKE IT WAS A SPEED VAN LIKE THIS ONE THAT CAUGHT FORMER A-P-D CAPTAIN SONNY LEAPER GOING 42 IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE LEEPER CHALLENGED THE TICKET SAYING THE CITY NEVER POSTED CONSTRUCTION SIGNS TEMPORARILY LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT FROM 40 TO 30-MILES PER HOUR THE CITY AGREED AND DISMISSED THE TICKET BUT LEEPER IS STILL CONCERNED THAT OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE WRONGLY CITED BUT STILL PAID THE FINE HAVE BEEN CHEATED They just send in their 100 - 150 fine are those people being notified and are they getting refund for this mistake That s a question that needs to be asked AND WE ASKED IT FROM THE MAN WHO LEADS THE DEPARTMENT WHERE CAMERA CITATIONS ARE CHALLENGED If anyone has made payment then I will issue a refund order all of those BUT THE FACT THAT UNLAWFUL FINES ARE REIMBURSED IS STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR PAUL LIVINGSTON THE LAWYER HAS FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON BEHALF OF EIGHT PEOPLE — INCLUDING LEEPER — CHALLENGING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AMONG LIVINGSTON S MANY ISSUES IS HE BELIEVES A METRO COURT JUDGE SHOULD HANDLE CHALLENGES NOT A HEARING OFFICER WHO IS ON THE CITY PAYROLL AS FOR LEEPER EVEN THOUGH HIS CITATION WAS DISMISSED HE PLANS TO PURSUE THE CLASS ACTION SUIT HE SAYS AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE NEEDS TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE SYSTEM BEFORE IT S ALLOWED TO CONTINUE I personally don t want money out of it I just want the system corrected THE CITY COULDN T SAY FOR SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REIMBURSED FOR FINES THEY PAID THAT WERE LATER DETERMINED TO BE UNWARRANTED BUT THEY ESTIMATE IT S IN THE HUNDREDS REPORTING LIVE FROM NEWSROOM SHELTON DODSON EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR OUR CAMERAS