Mesa ticket error fuels statewide camera debate
Mesa Says 45,000 Botched Photo Radar Tickets Still Valid
If you got a photo radar ticket in Mesa a few years back, you might want to take another look at who signed it. Turns out the city issued more than 43,000 citations between 2020 and 2021 bearing the digital signature of a judge who had already retired.
Oops.
Mesa officials confirmed the clerical blunder but insist the tickets remain valid and no refunds are coming. Assistant City Manager Ken Cost explained that when a longtime judge left the city, his name kept appearing on citations even after retirement.
The situation got worse when officials discovered it happened again in 2024 with another judge, adding roughly 2,400 more questionable tickets to the pile.
State lawmakers are fuming. Representative Teresa Martinez called the situation unfair to Arizona drivers and demanded refunds for everyone affected. Senator Wendy Rogers went further, calling the practice unconstitutional.
The outrage has fueled momentum for SCR 1004, a resolution that would let Arizona voters decide whether to ban photo radar cameras statewide in 2026. The measure recently passed the Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology Committee.
Mesa maintains that despite the signature snafu, the tickets are legally enforceable since the violations themselves were legitimate.
The city is now petitioning higher courts to eliminate the requirement that judges sign photo radar citations altogether—a move that would conveniently prevent future embarrassments.
For Valley drivers who paid up on those tickets, the city's message is clear: the fines stick regardless of whose name appeared at the bottom. Whether voters will get the final say on photo radar's future remains to be seen.
Sources: AZ Family | Fox 10 Phoenix | Carscoops | West Valley Families