Red-light Cameras in Woodstock?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
February 7, 2009

Are you ready for this? Are we about to get a red-light camera in Woodstock? Where will it be? Is it really needed? Will it pay for itself? Will there be more than one?

The first step in the process is to create an Adjudication Court, so that tickets can be handled locally and not sent to McHenry County Traffic Court (with the corresponding loss in revenue). Rumor has it that such a Court is under heavy consideration in Woodstock, and perhaps a judge has even already been identified.

I think Crystal Lake recently established its own adjudication court, where it hears cases involving violations of City Codes.

Having such a court here could be a convenient and profitable way to handle City Code violations, such as parking and nuisance violations. And with such a court tickets for red-light violations could be processed right here in Woodstock. A "plus" for the violator is that payment of a fine or conviction, should he ask for a trial, does not result in a blemish on his driving record at the office of the Illinois Secretary of State.

Would liquor license violations be processed there, too? If so, that would move them out of the "courtroom" at Liquor Commission hearings.

We can expect to hear more about this in the coming weeks.