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Arnold Police Court Documents

ARNOLD, Mo. (AP) -- The first Missouri community to install red-light cameras is now facing a federal lawsuit.

The suit against Arnold in Jefferson County was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. It seeks to outlaw the system that a growing number of communities see as a safety tool -- but which critics see as a way to generate money.

The lawsuit by Fenton residents James and Kara Hoekstra alleges that the ticketing process is illegal and unconstitutional, collecting fines through fraud and extortion to benefit the city and its red-light camera contractor. It seeks unspecified damages from the city, several city officials, and the contractor, American Traffic Solutions Inc.

The couple received a ticket in the mail from Arnold on Aug. 15, accusing them of running a red light in a 2005 Jeep on July 29. It demanded a payment of $94.50. City records show it was one of 13,921 citations issued between October 2005 and Jan. 24, 2008.

The lawsuit said James Hoekstra was threatened with arrest when he refused to pay, but that the city dropped the ticket after he got a lawyer.

According to the lawsuit and the attorney for the couple, Chet Pleban, the red-light ordinance violates a state law requiring that points toward suspension be assessed against the license of a driver charged with a moving violation.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)