Hearing upholds multiple Fort Walton Beach school-zone camera citations; fees reduced or extended for some respondents

Fort Walton Beach police and code hearing officers admitted photo-enforcement evidence and upheld multiple civil citations for vehicles detected speeding in posted school zones, while exercising discretion to reduce administrative fees or extend deadlines for some respondents.

Lieutenant Williams of the Fort Walton Beach Police Department presented evidence packages and video for each case, describing still images and calibrated equipment checks used to verify violations. "A black jeep bearing photo registration 71CFYA, registered to Dwayne Davis," Williams said when introducing one notice, and in another case he described a 10/28/2025 detection of a red Chevy registered to Jordan Hadley traveling 31.1 mph in a posted 20 mph school zone. The department requested the standard $100 fine and administrative fees per the enforcement program.

The hearing officer reviewed each packet, admitted the evidence into the record and issued dispositions as follows: Dwayne Davis's citation (notice 2032400088842585) was upheld at a $100 civil fine; the officer reduced the administrative fee from the requested $75 to $50 for the in-person respondent. The officer also explained appeal rights to circuit or county court and said, "You have 30 days to appeal. You have to appeal it to the circuit court or county court of Okaloosa County." (hearing officer).

In the case listed to Jordan Hadley (notice 2032400074688387), the testifying respondent said his wife was driving and asked for leniency because the family had recently started a business. The magistrate acknowledged the hardship and exercised discretion: the $100 fine was upheld, the administrative fee was reduced to $10 and the due date was extended to 60 days.

Several other notices were handled in absentia: evidence for Haley Letcher (notice 2032400091671594), Shakera/ Shakira Nolan (notice 2032400093803145), Jasmine Poe (notice 2032400095196662) and James Wilde (notice 2032400093033254) was admitted when no respondent appeared and the hearing officer imposed the $100 fine with a $75 administrative fee for nonappearance.

Respondents raised two recurring defenses in the hearing: that the registered owner was not the driver and that glare or camera placement could make identification difficult. The hearing officer repeatedly explained the statutory presumption: "Under the statute, the statute automatically presumes that the person driving the car is the registered owner of the car," and added that to rebut that presumption an affidavit must be filed before the hearing.

The magistrate repeatedly cautioned that the civil citation does not immediately affect the driving record or insurance but that an adverse adjudication could lead to further consequences if an appeal is pursued and the ruling is upheld at the circuit-court level. Lieutenant Williams told respondents how to obtain the appeal-process instructions and the city indicated orders would be mailed to respondents.

The hearing concluded after the docket was disposed; respondents wishing to challenge the adjudications were told to follow the 30-day appeal window and to consult the clerk's office for court procedures.