Lack of certification prompts judge to dismiss over 400 Chatham County speeding tickets

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Court records show that hundreds of speeding tickets written by two Chatham County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been dismissed by a judge after it was determined the deputies were not properly certified to use speed detection equipment at the time the citations were issued.

Why the tickets were dismissed

According to records obtained from Chatham’s Recorder’s Court through a Freedom of Information Act request, the citations were dismissed because the deputies lacked certification to operate speed detection equipment, such as a radar gun.

The deputies — Steve Delgado and Scott Maciver — later completed training and received certification in February. As a result, speeding tickets they issued before that certification were dismissed.

More than 400 tickets over four months

Records show more than 400 speeding tickets were dismissed over a four-month span.

The FOIA response included more than 30 pages of dismissed citations. A judge dismissed tickets written between July 18 and Nov. 18, 2025, according to the court records.

Savannah residents said the number of dismissed tickets caught their attention.

“That’s a big number,” said Anthony Barbra, Savannah resident.

“I would say it’s surprising,” said Elle Myers, Savannah resident.

Residents: certification should be required

Several residents said certification is a basic expectation when deputies are enforcing traffic laws using specialized equipment.

“It just makes sense to me that they should be trained for that,” said Barbra.

“Oh it’s valid, I think they should be trained,” said Julie Cherau, Savannah resident.

Residents also raised concerns about the sheriff’s office training and hiring process, noting that court records indicate neither deputy was certified at the time they were hired.

“That seems like a pretty standard thing to include in the training,” said Barbra.

Cost concerns for drivers

Cherau said the dismissals matter because speeding tickets can carry significant financial consequences.

“Speeding tickets these days can be quite pricey, so in some cases they can handicap a family or a person, said Julie Cherau.

Sheriff’s Office response

We reached out to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office to ask how the deputies were able to issue speeding tickets without certification. We have not received a response.