In any criminal case, the police and prosecutors must gather evidence against the accused to be used in court. This evidence is used to prove that people committed the crimes that they are accused of. This evidence can come from a variety of sources and in many different forms. For some misdemeanor charges, Oregon police and prosecutors now have a new source of evidence -- red light cameras.
These cameras were originally installed to help ticket and catch people who were running red lights. They work by taking a picture of people and their vehicles if motion is detected after a light has turned red. However, the Oregon legislature has recently approved a new use for the cameras.
Under the new bill, which was passed 54 to five, the police can now use information gathered by these cameras for other types of crimes many of which are unrelated to operating a car or even to driving. Under the new bill, this evidence can be used to prosecute "serious crimes" including Class-A misdemeanors. These crimes would include impersonating an accountant, drunk driving, hunting with a flashlight, writing bad checks or possession of fireworks, among others.
The bill will now be sent to Governor John Kitzhaber to sign.
If signed into law by the Governor, this law could make it more difficult for those accused of certain misdemeanors to defend themselves by increasing the amount of evidence police can use against them. If signed, this law will make it all the more important for those accused of misdemeanors to understand their criminal defense options so they can object to the evidence used against them. Without proper preparation, people could end up facing serious consequences because of the use of this photographic evidence.
Source: Northwest Watchdog, "Oregon Legislature expands reach of red light cameras," Shelby Sebens, June 11, 2013
