CHICAGO (WBBM) -- If you happen to be caught speeding by Chicago police, chances are you could beat-the-rap just by showing up in court.
One of the kinds of devices being used by Chicago police to catch speeders has not been legally upheld in Illinois courts
Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown reports the city knows the laser-based LIDAR detectors have not been judged as admissible in Illinois, but it continues to use the devices.
LIDAR is an acronym for LIght Detection And Ranging. It uses light to measure distance and speed. Radar technology uses radio waves.
Some motorists who don’t know about the legal technicality plead guilty and get court-supervision when they could easily have had the traffic charge dropped.
The head of the Chicago police Traffic Section contends LIDAR devices are accurate and reliable.
One word of warning: Police radar devices still hold up in court. It’s the tickets with the LIDAR box checked that have the potential for being tossed.
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