The suit was filed Thursday by attorneys Michael J. Fremont and Joseph Adelizzi on behalf of several clients. They allege 10 violations of unfair business practices in the operation of San Diego's red light photo enforcement system. The lawsuit seeks more than $27 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages as well.

The lawyers are asking anyone who got a citation at one of San Diego's red light camera intersections to contact Front Line Law Group at (760) 643-1602 to join the class action suit.

Earlier this week, Superior Court Judge Ronald Styn dismissed 250 tickets issued under San Diego's red light camera program, ruling that Lockheed Martin's involvement as a private contractor made the evidence collected by the cameras inadmissible at trial.

Styn ruled that the city's decision to hire Lockheed Martin to run the program -- combined with a contingency fee -- made evidence gathered from the red light cameras "unreliable" and "untrustworthy." He also said the agreement for Lockheed Martin to get $70 for each $271 ticket paid made evidence obtained under the system inadmissible in court.

City officials will decide soon whether to appeal Styn's ruling.

Another class action lawsuit filed last week by four groups of plaintiffs alleges Lockheed Martin was illegally allowed to run the red light program, and that the private company had an illegal financial incentive by taking the $70 for each ticket paid.

All 19 red light cameras in the city of San Diego have been turned off, pending completion of an inspection of the entire system. On Oct. 4, defense attorneys will ask Styn to disqualify City Attorney Casey Gwinn's office from prosecuting any future red light citations.

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