Local

Orlando red-light cameras before 2010 deemed illegal

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Orlando's red-light camera system before 2010 was illegal.

Justices said the ordinance conflicted with a ruling made by the state Legislature last year.

Between 2008-2010, the city collected $4.4 million from drivers from thousands of tickets issued at 14 locations across the city.

Orlando is accused of setting up the cameras before the state authorized cities to use them or issue tickets.

"This decision is huge in that anyone who got a ticket before 2010 could ask for a refund of what they paid," said WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.

The long legal battle went through the appeal courts and up to the state Supreme Court.

Channel 9's Kenneth Craig asked Mayor Buddy Dyer if the city plan to return the money to those who were issued tickets at the time.

"The court did not address that issue, it addressed is that we were preempted by that program," said Dyer.

The city would not say what it's next step is or how it would go about retuning the money.

Instead, Dyer stood by the city's red-light camera program, insisting it's made the city safer and reduced crashes.

The city is insisting it has not been ordered to return any money, but Sheaffer said it's likely they'll end up having to do so.