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[1de984af-3aca-4a68-8ab0-2fe4] Federal judge rules Leapfrog hospital safety grades 'unfair and deceptive' A federal judge in West Palm Beach has ruled that The Leapfrog Group's safety grades for five Palm Beach County hospitals were & ldquo;unfair and deceptive,” ordering [744d458d-dfe9-4333-81c7-b84e] GALLERY: Fire destroys cat cottages at Fellsmere sanctuary, 10 cats, tortoise lost A fire tore through two cottages at a senior pet sanctuary in Indian River County, killing 10 cats and a tortoise, and injuring the organization's executive dir [6ec0e1b1-aa96-4c69-a445-3419] Woman arrested for nitrous oxide possession as state law targets 'whippits' sales A woman was arrested outside a Stuart Wawa after police say she was found passed out in her vehicle with multiple containers of nitrous oxide, commonly known as LocalCrisis in the ClassroomVideosI-TeamNation & WorldOffbeat EntertainmentQuestion of the DayAmazing AmericaNewscast LinksConnect to CongressAddicted FloridaMorning ShowCrimeCriminally Obsessed PodcastsHealthSpotlight on AmericaFull Measure with Sharyl Attkisson Armstrong Army StrongARC FloridaFlorida Weather Current Weather West Palm Beach Partly Cloudy Partly Cloudy 80F 80 / 69 Today weather icon 80 / 69 Tuesday weather icon 85 / 71 Wednesday weather icon 85 / 71 [000005] Latest Weathercast Latest Weathercast RadarMapsWeather AppHurricane CenterMarine ForecastWeekend Boaters Forecast Videos Videos[ec380624-5aaa-44ac-8ece-5b9c] Florida AG cites 1,400 predator takedowns in year amid crackdown on social media abuse Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, on Monday in Orlando, announced major developments in the state's ongoing crackdown on child predators. 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Don't miss our weekly town hall! WATCH Trump holds press conference Trump holds press conference President Donald Trump holds a press conference. WATCHREAD MORE 12 Judge dismisses red-light camera ticket, rules law is unconstitutional --------------------------------------------------------------------- by Eric Weiss | Antoinette DelBel Thu, March 5, 2026 at 1:03 PM Updated Thu, March 5, 2026 at 11:33 PM UserWay icon for accessibility widget RED LIGHT CAMERA.png red light 1.jpegred light 2.jpeg 4VIEW ALL PHOTOS red light 3.jpeg A Broward County judge has dismissed a red-light camera ticket, ruling that the state law used to issue the citation improperly shifts the burden of proof onto vehicle owners. 21Comment Share topics: * Red-light camera * Constitutionality * Burden of proof * Traffic citation * Florida law * Automated enforcement * Due process * Broward County STUART, Fla. (CBS12) -- A Broward County judge has dismissed a red-light camera ticket, ruling that the state law used to issue the citation improperly shifts the burden of proof onto vehicle owners. In a 21-page order signed March 3, Judge Steven P. DeLuca granted a defendant's motion to dismiss a photo-enforced traffic citation issued under Florida's red-light camera law. The case involved a Sunrise red-light camera citation issued to a registered vehicle owner after automated cameras captured a vehicle entering an intersection against a red signal. The defendant argued the statute unconstitutionally requires the registered owner to prove they were not driving -- instead of requiring the government to prove who was behind the wheel. Judge DeLuca agreed. In the order, the court found that red-light camera cases, although labeled as civil infractions, function as "quasi-criminal" proceedings because they can result in monetary penalties, a formal finding of guilt, and consequences tied to a driver's record. Under Florida Statute 316.0083, once a camera captures a violation, the registered owner is presumed responsible unless they submit an affidavit identifying another driver. The court ruled that the framework improperly shifts the burden of proof away from the state. Because traffic infractions that move to county court must be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt," the judge wrote that the statute's presumption violates constitutional due process protections. As a result, the citation in this case was formally dismissed. Click here to view the PDF file Joel Mumford is an attorney with The Ticket Clinic. He said if the case is quasi criminal, which means almost criminal or criminal-like, the state has to follow procedural due process. "The state or the agencies that issue the tickets, it's their burden to prove all the elements of the crime beyond and to the extent of each and every reasonable doubt. And the first element, which should be, who's driving the car," Mumford said. "The statute in Florida presumes that the registered owner is the driver of the car." Mumford said even though the court order only applies in Broward County, it could open the door for challenges in other parts of the state, meaning other counties across the state following suit. "What could probably happen is they the court could then get an appeal, and then if it goes up to the district court of appeal level and then make a decision on it, depending on what that says, that could then be applied to the entire state, if there's no similar appellate cases throughout the state. So that could make it statewide," he said. Drivers in Boynton Beach want to see the red-light cameras gone. Fifteen red-light camera systems are already running at seven intersections in Boynton Beach alone. Congress Avenue and Gateway Boulevard is just one of them. "I've been ticketed here twice, and it's ridiculous because they it's just not fair," one driver said who didn't want to be identified. The person that does the determination when you ran the light, it's just a random. Whoever they want to pick, pick you to say, okay, you're gonna pay the ticket." That driver had to pay his $158 dollar ticket but he's hopeful Palm Beach County can soon follow suit. He wants red light cameras gone, so future violations could be thrown out. "I think they need to outlaw it and get rid of it," he said. Advocacy group StopTheCams, which has long opposed automated traffic enforcement, called the ruling a major victory. In a press release, the group said the decision confirms what critics have argued for years -- that red-light camera laws punish vehicle owners without requiring proof they committed the violation. Supporters of red-light cameras argue the systems improve safety by deterring dangerous driving at intersections. Florida's red-light camera law, known as the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act, allows local governments to use automated enforcement systems. JOIN THE CONVERSATION (21) It remains unclear whether the ruling will be appealed or how broadly it could affect similar cases statewide. For now, the decision applies to this specific case in Broward County, but legal observers say it could fuel renewed challenges to Florida's red-light camera enforcement system. Trending [450436a3-3265-44d7-8ab3-c0d9071b534a-Screenshot20] Florida community rallies $20K to buy longtime Pop Warner coach a new car A pillar of a Central Florida community got the surprise of a lifetime as players and families gathered to honor a man who has spent decades on the sidelines. [0bdb9082-796c] Judge dismisses red-light camera ticket, rules law is unconstitutional A Broward County judge has dismissed a red-light camera ticket. [f4d5d7c2-1db8] Crash on NB I-95 in West Palm Beach causes traffic jam, closes four lanes A major crash on I-95 North at the Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard exit has snarled traffic and closed four lanes. [904f133a-a962] One person killed, three injured in rollover crash on Southern Boulevard near PBI A 32-year-old man was killed in a crash near Palm Beach International Airport on Sunday. [1eeea58b-b385] Florida woman caught going 136 mph says she was just having stomach issues If having a stomach ache were a free pass to drive like a rocket, an Orlando woman might have had a case — but police say pain is not a valid excuse for hitting NEWS IN PHOTOS: "Local" Image for gallery: Person injured in fire district golf cart incident at St. Lucie County Fair 3 Person injured in fire district golf cart incident at St. Lucie County Fair Image for gallery: Federal judge rules Leapfrog hospital safety grades 'unfair and deceptive' 3 Federal judge rules Leapfrog hospital safety grades 'unfair and deceptive' Image for gallery: GALLERY: Fire destroys cat cottages at Fellsmere sanctuary, 10 cats, tortoise lost 9 GALLERY: Fire destroys cat cottages at Fellsmere sanctuary, 10 cats, tortoise lost Image for gallery: Woman arrested for nitrous oxide possession as state law targets 'whippits' sales 3 Woman arrested for nitrous oxide possession as state law targets 'whippits' sales WPECUserWay icon for accessibility widgetACCESSIBILITY Download Our Mobile Apps: Download on the App StoreDownload on the Google Play Store * Terms & Conditions * Copyright Notices * EEO Public File Report * WPEC FCC Info * WPEC FCC Applications * Public File Assistance * WWHB FCC Info * WWHB-CD FCC Applications * Contact * News Team * Careers * Contests * News * Weather * Sports * Traffic * Station * Game Center * Privacy Policy * Cookie Policy * Do Not Sell or Share * Cookie Preferences * instagram icon * * 2026 Sinclair, Inc.