Lawyers claim New Miami also owes interest to speeders

Lawyers for drivers in the New Miami speed camera case not only want the village to settle immediately, but they also now want more than $300,000 in interest.

One of the speeders’ attorneys, Josh Engel, said interest on the unconstitutional fines has been calculated at $355,613, so the total amount owed now is $3.4 million.

MORE: Judge rules village owes $3 million to speeders

Engel called on the village to quickly end the four-year battle over speed cameras.

“We will be asking the court to order New Miami to immediately pay back all motorists, with interest,” Engel said. “Rather than continuing to drag this matter out for years in the Court of Appeals and spend another hundred thousand dollars on lawyers, we call on New Miami to finally acknowledge the decision of the court, accept responsibility for its unconstitutional scheme, and come to the table with a fair and just settlement offer that will allow people to receive payments immediately.”

New Miami’s outside counsel James Englert said he cannot discuss settlement talks. As for giving up the fight, he said speed camera programs have already been approved by the Ohio Supreme Court, a fact he said class action lawyers tend to ignore, so they will continue to defend the case on remaining claims.

“The administrative hearings were fair, and the village looks forward to review of that issue,” Englert said. “The village of New Miami has complied with Ohio law and places the interests of its inhabitants and safety of motorists above the efforts of class action lawyers.”

A judge ruled two weeks ago that the village has received ill gotten gains from an unconstitutional speed camera program and said the speeders are due a $3 million refund.

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