Mesa’s Photo Radar Failure Sparks Renewed Scrutiny of Enforcement Statewide
New Legislation and Surveillance Funding Now in Play
Mesa’s photo-radar system logged thousands of traffic citations bearing the wrong judge’s signature. Cited drivers were never told. And it wasn’t the first time this error occurred.
New public records obtained from the City of Mesa confirm that 2,446 photo-enforcement citations issued by the Mesa Police Department between April and September 2024 carried a judicial signature not belonging to the presiding magistrate at the time.
The citations were generated through the city’s photo radar program, which relies on third-party vendor Verra Mobility for citation processing, and continued to display a digitally applied judge’s signature after a change in the presiding magistrate.
It’s a flaw I identified in earlier public records. And one the city now acknowledges publicly, but maintains did not legally invalidate the citations.
Internal communications I found reveal the error was known by late July 2024, but not corrected until early September.
The new records I’ve received confirm the errors were never disclosed to affected drivers.
“The City of Mesa has no records indicating that drivers were notified regarding the incorrect judge’s signatures. Under Rule 8 of the Arizona Rules of Court Procedure for Civil Traffic, Boating, Marijuana, and Parking and Standing Violations, a citation (complaint) is legally sufficient if it contains either a written description or the statutory or local ordinance, charter, rule, or regulation designation of the alleged violation. The City is not required to notify drivers of the incorrect judge’s signature. Accordingly, the City of Mesa has no records showing that any refunds or reimbursements were issued as a result.”
City of Mesa | December 22, 2025 | FOIA Records Request
No citations were dismissed. None were reissued. No refunds were issued. And according to the city, none were required.
A Repeat Mistake — With Tens of Thousands Affected
The 2024 incident was not an anomaly. Records obtained through my public records request show the City of Mesa allowed the same error to persist on a massive scale years earlier.
“There was a prior occurrence after Presiding City Magistrate Judge Matias (Matt) Tafoya retired June 30, 2020 and Judge John Tatz became Presiding Magistrate July 1, 2020. Judge Tafoya’s signature was used for several months after his retirement. There were 43,096 citations issued by the Mesa Police Department with Judge Tafoya’s signature between July 1, 2020 and May 5, 2021 according to Mesa Municipal Court. As we mentioned above, these citations were legally sufficient pursuant to Rule 8 of the Arizona Rules of Court Procedure.”
City of Mesa | December 22, 2025 | FOIA Records Request
Integrity of the Adjudicatory Process Questioned
The City of Mesa is now in the hot seat with Arizona state lawmaker Rep. Teresa Martinez filing this letter demanding answers.
Jen’s Two Cents will continue reporting on the transparency, enforcement, and legislative questions surrounding this issue throughout the 2026 session.
A Familiar Fight Resurfaces: Who Should Control Photo Radar?
Just before the holidays, I broke news that AZ Senators Rogers and Finchem revived a familiar fight… whether profit-driven photo enforcement should exist at all.
SCR 1004, a resolution, moves to put that decision in voters’ hands.
In 2025, a similar resolution to let Arizona voters decide ultimately failed, not because of debate on the merits, but because there weren’t enough Republicans present to carry the vote.
State Representative Alex Kolodin exposed the maneuver by House Speaker Montenegro, saying the absence was no accident. He says the procedural trick doomed the measure before it had a real chance.
Throughout 2025, I reported on photo radar as an independent journalist. Tracking legislation, public records, and the real-world consequences of enforcement decisions. That work will continue in 2026 with the same focus on transparency, accountability, and facts.
Follow me on X for breaking news and ongoing coverage.
Jen’s Two Cents.
My investigation into taxpayer-funded grants supporting automated license plate readers [ALPR] systems continues, as well.
An 882-page document shared with me by the Electronic Frontier Foundation shows Arizona border security funds flowing into ALPR technology.
This system runs deep, and as global privacy concerns intensify, especially around digital ID, my work will continue into the new year.