Residents of Center Point, Alabama, who received citations as a result of a new traffic-camera system were told they could appeal their tickets in court.

But there was a catch: it turned out there was no court to hear such cases.

That’s the contention of two women, Rhonda Lashon Stubbs and Celeita Snow, who are suing the city and Redflex Traffic Systems, which was hired to install the cameras to catch speeders and other moving violations. For the first 100 tickets each month, Redflex gets 40% of the proceeds, and 35% for tickets issued after the first 100. Besides being installed at intersections, the cameras operated out of a moving van.

The plaintiffs argue that the new system is illegal because “no such court exists” to handle legal challenges, according to their lawsuit.

After receiving multiple violations, Snow requested hearings on her tickets. She says the city granted, then “postponed” each hearing because no court was authorized to hear the cases.

Center Point, with a population of about 17,000, is a suburb of Birmingham ans was incorporated as a separate city in 2002.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

To Learn More:

Franz Kafka Heroes Challenge Traffic Tickets (Courthouse News Service)

Center Point Traffic Cameras Trigger Ire, Petitions (by Victoria L. Coman, Birmingham News)

Jefferson County Deputies no Longer Reviewing Images from Center Point Traffic Cameras (by Victoria L. Coman, Birmingham News)

Revenue Opportunity: Shortening Yellow Traffic Lights (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

America’s Worst Speed Trap: 10,000 Tickets in 4 Weeks (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)