N.O. traffic cameras survive court battle

A federal court of appeals has ruled that New Orleans’ automated traffic enforcement system ordinance is constitutional, reports The Wall Street Journal at its MarketWatch website. In doing so, the court found the city’s interest in reducing traffic crashes outweighs the private interests of avoiding a fine. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision affirmed a lower court’s decision. Ruling on the class-action lawsuit brought against the city of New Orleans, the court found the city to be within its legal bounds to issue civil citations for traffic infractions caught on camera, and that the city’s law did not violate the constitutional protection of due process. The court reached its decision by weighing private interests against government interests and found in favor of a city’s broad ability to safeguard the public. To read the full report, click here.