What defenses do I have against a traffic light camera ticket for running a red light?

Some states now allow a traffic light camera ticket to be issued when you run a red light and a camera posted near the intersection takes a picture of your vehicle.  While a photo of the stop light and your vehicle going through it may seem like a slam dunk case against you, you do have some defenses.

One possible defense is that there were other circumstances which were not visible in the photo which made stopping before the light turned red impossible—perhaps the light was yellow when you entered the intersection (which is allowed) or perhaps there was rain, ice, or some other hazard that made stopping in time for the red light impossible.

Another defense is an emergency or having to pull over/through the intersection for emergency vehicles. Most of the cameras automatically take a photo when the light turns red so other circumstances are not apparent in the photo. You should appear for the hearing for your ticket and you should give the court the explanations which may not be apparent in the photo.

Perhaps the best defense is that the cameras have been held as unconstitutional in some states (i.e. in Minnesota).  It has been determined that the camera takes a photo of the vehicle and the ticket is issued to the owner of the vehicle, but the driver who ran the red light may not be the owner of the vehicle, and to assume the driver and owner are the same denies a person the right of due process. If someone other than the owner was driving the vehicle, the vehicle owner should not be responsible for the ticket.