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Judge reduces photo-ticket fine to $75 for driver cited in school walk zone
Summary
Judge Jennifer Grant reduced a photo-enforcement fine to $75 for Chelsea Berg, who was cited for driving 31 mph in a 25 mph school-walk zone on Jan. 10, 2025; the court noted growing photo enforcement and clarified the difference between flashing-school-zone limits and the regular posted limit.
Judge Jennifer Grant reduced a photo-enforcement fine to $75 on April 23 for Chelsea Berg in case 250016790, after Berg asked the court to mitigate a citation for driving 31 miles per hour in a 25 mph school walk zone on Jan. 10, 2025.
The decision matters because the judge and parties discussed public confusion about school-zone signage and the expanding use of automated photo enforcement. Grant said legislative changes have broadened photo enforcement beyond traditional school hours to other places such as parks and hospitals.
“This is case 250016790. Miss Berg, you asked to mitigate your photo ticket that you received. It was a violation of 01/10/2025. You were cited for going 31 in a 25 mile per hour, school walk zone,” Judge Jennifer Grant said at the start of the hearing. Berg told the court she had expected the citation to be tied to a flashing crosswalk light and said: “I thought it was for, the crosswalk with the lights being flashing in the crosswalk because it was at a school, and there was no flashing light or children.”
Grant explained the distinction between a flashing school-zone speed and a school walk zone enforced at the regular posted limit. “This is not a school zone violation. This is an area, that's designated a school walk zone. And so that is photo enforcement of the regular speed limit,” she said, adding that flashing lights reduce the limit to 20 miles per hour during morning and afternoon periods and that the legislature last year expanded photo-enforcement authority.
Noting that this was Berg’s first violation, Grant said she would reduce the penalty “about half to $75.” A court clerk confirmed the court would send an updated invoice and told Berg the invoice “will give you options on how to pay. The least expensive way to do that is with a check so that you don't pay a credit card fee.”
The remote proceeding was held on the Zoom platform and livestreamed to YouTube to preserve open-court access. The judge closed the calendar after confirming Berg’s residence information and that the court would send the revised billing information.
No additional penalties, suspensions, or further court dates were announced at the conclusion of the hearing.
