A Georgia county is tossing out 264 speeding tickets after police disclosed that they were behind in testing required to ensure their speed detectors were accurate.
County police officers handed out the tickets for more than two months after certification of their radar and LIDAR speed-detecting equipment had lapsed March 31, The Brunswick News reported.
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Police immediately notified county Solicitor General Maria Lugue, who prosecutes traffic citations, when the problem was discovered June 2, Lugue said. Officers also performed an audit to identify all speeding tickets issued during that period.
Lugue said not just speeding citations were affected. She’s also dismissing any additional charges, such as driving on a suspended license, that resulted from traffic stops that resulted from the use of any speed-detection equipment with lapsed certification.
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Radar and LIDAR devices used by police must be inspected regularly to make sure they’re working correctly. Devices that pass an annual inspection receive a compliance certification.
LaGrange Police Chief Louis Dekmar, a former president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said Glynn County did the right thing by openly acknowledging the mistake once it was detected.
“Dismissing these cases does not mean the citations weren’t legitimate,” Dekmar said. “It says to the community that we as a department hold themselves to a certain standard.”
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