Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog

Knoxville traffic attorneys know how frustrating receiving an unexpected ticket through the mail can be. The city of Knoxville has installed cameras in certain red lights throughout the city to catch light-runners. The red light cameras were installed to promote safety on Knoxville’s roadways.

These fully automated devices collect all of the evidence authorities need to prosecute you if you are caught. If a camera catches you speeding through the intersection, you can expect a ticket (and usually a photograph of the violation) to arrive in your mailbox sometime in the near future. According to the City of Knoxville’s website, the following are locations throughout Knoxville containing red light cameras as of April 2007:

• Alcoa Highway at Kingston Pike
• Henley at Cumberland
• Henley at Main
• Henley at Western/Summit Hill
• Clinton Highway at Merchants
• Clinton Highway at Tillery
• Kingston Pike at Morrell
• Kingston Pike at Papermill
• Cedar Bluff at I-40
• Cedar Bluff at N. Peters
• Lovell Road at I-40
• Broadway at I-640
• Chapman at Greene
• Chapman at Moody
• Chapman at Young High
• Being considered: Broadway at Adair

There are complaints associated with these red light cameras. Many times, recipients of tickets are not notified sufficiently. These tickets are generally sent out via first class mail. There is no guarantee that the accused motorists will even receive the ticket. If the motorist receives the ticket, there is no guarantee that the accused individual will even understand the ticket, or know how to respond to it. If someone doesn’t pay, it is assumed that he or she refused to pay intentionally.

In addition, there is typically no identification of who drove the vehicle. Instead, the vehicle owner is mailed the ticket regardless of whether the owner was driving the vehicle. The vehicle owner is forced to prove his or her innocence, often by identifying the actual diver who might be a family member, friend or employee.

If you receive a red light ticket, or any type of moving violation in the Knoxville area, contact a Tennessee traffic lawyer. Our lawyers fight speeding tickets and other moving and non-moving violations throughout East Tennessee including Knox County, Cocke County, Jefferson County, Loudon, and Hamblen County.