Nassau won't have to pay back $400M in illegal red-light camera fees as judge oddly claims payments were 'voluntary'

"Nassau County won't have to pay back $400 million in illegal red-light camera fees as a judge bizarrely ruled drivers voluntarily paid the fines - even though they were threatened with getting their licenses suspended. The "outrageous" ruling by County Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker has the plaintiffs' attorney calling for the judge to be removed from the case while Nassau administrators hold onto improper administrative fees it took in from drivers for over a decade."

"Raimondo questioned how the judge could view the payments as "voluntary" when Nassau threatened to revoke licenses and registrations, boot and tow people's cars - and even put a mark on credit reports if the fee is not paid. "There was no ability to contest any administrative fee," Raimondo said, likening the county's threats to "economic coercion" that has left drivers with no choice but to pay up or face serious consequences."

Nassau County will not have to refund about $400 million in surcharges from its red-light camera program after County Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker ruled that motorists paid the fees voluntarily despite threats of license suspension. Plaintiffs' counsel called the ruling outrageous and asked for the judge's removal, saying the county collected improper administrative fees for over a decade. Since 2009 Nassau added a $100 driver-responsibility fee on top of a $50 fine; Suffolk added $30. The 2016 lawsuit sought recovery of those surcharges. Attorneys say Nassau threatened license revocation, registration holds, vehicle booting and credit reporting, creating economic coercion.

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