City of Houston v. American Traffic Solution

Justia.com Opinion Summary: This was an interlocutory appeal from the denial of a motion to intervene as of right brought by citizens of Houston in regard to litigation between the City and the contractor hired to run a red light camera system that generated millions of dollars annually to the City and the contractor. The court held, that under the totality of the circumstances, including the haste of the litigation, the City's pecuniary motives, the extended opposition to the charter amendment, the agreed order to leave the cameras in place, and the attempt to reinstate them before the suit had concluded, it was sufficient to conclude that the intervenors' interests "may be" inadequately represented. Accordingly, the district court's orders denying intervention and a new trial were reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings.

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