Legal challenge against Cleveland's red light cameras

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland's speed and red-light cameras are already bringing in revenue, but now we have learned of a potential lawsuit to shut them down.

Ever since the city decided to install the traffic-cams to catch speeders and red-light runners, two mayors and City Council have all said, "it's not about the money." If you remember the whole notion presented last year was around safety. ?What matters is we prevent accidents," said Mayor Frank Jackson.

In their first month, the cameras in four locations have caught more than 2,000 violators - that is $230,000 - even at the minimum fine of $100 for speeding. Most of it is coming from commuters.

So far the two cameras inbound and outbound at Chester and 71st are the champion money-grabbers. At this rate, speeders and red-light runners will put a couple million dollars into the city kitty this year - and that's just this one location. Traffic cams are being readied for two dozen other intersections.

Channel 3 News has learned a class action legal challenge has been filed on behalf of everyone who's been caught. The word's out and people are watching.

The mayor says he's looking at the other locations to see if they have glitches or if people at those intersections are just slowing down and not running red lights, which they say was the idea in the first place.

The legal challenge to the traffic cams begins in court Friday.