I was just given a red light camera violation video evidence that shows I was going 13 mph and rolled through slowly. I was clearly looking for traffic, and no cars were nearby even after I turned. Do I have a case to minimize the fine?
No, you don't really have much of a case.If you're in a particularly money-grubbing jurisdiction, you're SOL unless you know the judge. Either way, find a lawyer. They're cheaper than $500.[Edit:] Answering Garrick Saito's question in the comments.From Garrick:What would a lawyer say to get them off? Isn't the video proof of them breaking the law? That seems hard to dispute.Traffic court isn't like "real court" where murders, rapes, and other crimes get tried. Since petty traffic violations (non-DUI) are by far the most commonly processed crime by any court system, but are equally so unimportant, defense lawyers hold outsized leverage over the court.The process varies between jurisdictions, but typically, it goes like this. The initial court date you're given on a traffic ticket isn't your actual trial, just your first hearing. By paying your ticket you're basically pleading no contest - you're not admitting guilt, but you're admitting that the court could probably find you guilty if they wanted to.If you choose to plead not guilty (most effectively done through a lawyer), however, you can insist on your Sixth Amendment right to face your accuser. That means the municipal court has to haul the traffic cop who nabbed you back in on a later date, which is a huge pain in the ass to both the court and the cop for a petty violation. So, given the huge volume of petty traffic violations, most courts and cops would rather let you plead down to a lesser charge and at least get some money out of the deal than waste more of their time properly prosecuting you than you're worth.The advantage of a having a lawyer is that they're familiar with the local municipal courts and their quirks and particularities, and often know how best to strong-arm the court into giving you a better deal.Note that this doesn't entirely apply to red-light-cameras, however. The courts are still working through this one, the primary issue with RLCs is that they are a potential violation of the Sixth Amendment. After all, a camera isn't a person who can appear in court! But I'd say overall, a lawyer would still have at least a better fighting chance against a court than our Average Joe OP.