Police have used red light cameras for years in Middle Tennessee to catch people breaking the law, but now a legal opinion from the state's top lawyer says he thinks the companies that run those cameras may not be following state law themselves.
State Representative Andy Holt asked for the opinion.
Holt says usually the video and photos that accompany red light running tickets are first reviewed by employees of the out-of-state companies that run the cameras, then they are forwarded to a police officer for final approval.
But Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slattery said in an opinion that, by law, only specially trained law enforcement officers have the authority to review camera footage.
With the opinion in hand, now Holt says he's looking into the possibility of a class action lawsuit against the companies that run these cameras.
Several police departments say the red light cameras have cut down on accident rates in middle Tennessee.
Redflex Traffic Systems, a company that has operated red light cameras in Clarksville, did not immediately return emails for comment.
