GRETNA, LA (AP) — It has cost Jefferson Parish taxpayers more than $360,000 so far to fight three related lawsuits over the parish's now-defunct red-light camera program.
The Times-Picayune’s Adriane Quinlan reports the parish has allocated $364,428 to pay for legal representation in the lawsuits concerning Redflex Traffic Systems.
Redflex operated the parish's red-light camera ticket program from 2007 until the council voted to unplug the cameras in 2010 over Redflex payments to lobbyists.
Two of the lawsuits are by ticketed drivers against the parish and Redflex. A third lawsuit was filed by Redflex against the parish.
The parish collected about $21 million in fines through the red-light program. The council voted in 2013 to refund drivers who paid tickets, but the money will not be divvied up until after all legal fees are paid.
