Class action lawsuit filed against City of Winnfield for allegedly illegal traffic camera system
The City of Winnfield in Louisiana is currently facing a class-action lawsuit filed in the 8th Judicial District Court in Winn Parish on February 28. The lawsuit names the City of Winnfield and MetaTraffic LLC as co-defendants and represents four individuals from various parishes across Louisiana. The lawsuit alleges that the City of Winnfield and MetaTraffic LLC have been collecting money from citations issued by an illegal speed enforcement camera near the intersection of West Court Street on Hwy 167 and Cotton Street.
According to the petition filed on behalf of the plaintiffs, the City of Winnfield initiated the use of the speed enforcement camera on October 13, 2024. Since then, the camera has issued thousands of speeding tickets ranging between $165 and $185. The plaintiffs argue that the camera is operating unlawfully under Louisiana law, which stipulates that automated speed enforcement devices can only be used when they are not within a half-mile of a speed limit change of ten miles per hour or greater.
The lawsuit contends that the camera would have been compliant with the law if not for a rule change that occurred five months before the camera’s installation. The law change was implemented on May 21, 2024, when Governor Landry signed Act 103. The speed limit at the intersection of West Court & Cotton is 35 mph and is approximately 580 feet south of a speed limit change from 45 mph to 35 mph. The camera is also about 1,100 feet north of a speed limit change from 35 mph to 45 mph. As the camera is closer than 2,640 feet (half a mile) from these speed limit changes, the plaintiffs argue that its usage should be deemed illegal.
The plaintiffs are seeking legal action to prohibit the City of Winnfield and MetaTraffic LLC from utilizing the camera for speed limit enforcement and to have all funds collected through the camera returned. Public records obtained through a records request revealed that the City had amassed over $100,000 from speeding citations in the last ten weeks of 2024. During that period, citizens had paid approximately $200,000 to the City of Winnfield and MetaTraffic LLC.
Although the camera at West Court & Cotton is not the only one in operation in the city, the plaintiffs assert that the defendants should be able to distinguish which citations were issued from the specific device in question. This is an ongoing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Attempts to contact the City of Winnfield for comment have not yielded a response at the time of reporting.