Judge Dismisses $5 Million Riverdale Park Speed Camera Lawsuit

A $5 million class action lawsuit filed against the Town of Riverdale Park regarding speed camera tickets was dismissed by a circuit court judge last week after the claims of the plaintiffs were found to be without merit.

The lawsuit, filed in August of 2012, alleged that plaintiffs were given $40 speeding tickets by cameras with technology that did not comply with state law. Maryland’s speed camera law dictates that there be a fixed object in speed camera photographs to better allow for observers to determine how fast a driver is going. The suit alleges that there was no such point of reference in Riverdale Park where the tickets were issued.

The lawsuit also contended that one of the three drivers that filed suit was issued a ticket with a forged signature. According to the suit, former Riverdale Park Police Cpl. Clay Alford—the only officer permitted to sign the speed camera tickets—was out of town when the citation was signed.

According to the judge, the defendants had 180 days to challenge the speed camera tickets in court to take up the matter of the equipment used by the town, but they did not take that course of action.

Because they chose not to assert their right to a hearing when the tickets were issued, the judge determined that they did not have grounds to file suit against Riverdale Park more than a year after the tickets were issued. For this reason, the judge found this claim of the suit had no merit.

The judge also found that the plaintiff that claimed a speed camera ticket was fraudulently signed should also have challenged the ticket within 180 days. Had the plaintiff done so, Alford could have been called to the stand to testify about the ticket. Since the plaintiff did not follow this course of action, this claim was also found to be without merit.

Councilman Jonathan Ebbeler (Ward 1) said he was pleased with the outcome of the case. 

"Although town leadership could not comment on the case when it was filed, we were cautiously optimistic throughout the process that the rule of law would prevail and the case would be dismissed," Ebbeler said.

"The town continues to support public safety programs that target motorists egregiously exceeding the speed limit within a block from an elementary school," he added.