A federal judge in St. Louis ruled Monday that a driver flashing their lights to warn other drivers of an impendingspeed trap is protected free speech.
On November 22, 2012 Michael Elli received a ticket for flashing his lights to warn fellow drivers of a speed trap, according to Fox 2. The American Civil Liberties Union helped Elli fight the $1,000 ticket all the way to federal court.
Judge Henry Autrey of St. Louis ruled a driver has the right to flash their lights under the First Amendment. Autrey issued an injunction to stop Ellisville Police from enforcing the policy.
"If you're at the gas station on the corner and someone says 'Hey be careful over there, there's a speed trap,' that's protected speech. You can't be ticketed for that. This is no different," Tony Rothert, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, told Fox 2.
A lawyer for the police in Ellisville said the department isn't affected by the ruling, as this kind of ticket has only been issued five or so times in the last decade. Across the country, however, the ruling will be considered the benchmark for such cases.
One for the good guys.
Discussion in 'Trucking Industry Regulations' started by Wooly Rhino, Feb 5, 2014.
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AfterShock, NavigatorWife, otherhalftw and 3 others Thank this.
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Yay, good for them. It's about time we got a break, those dumb police can't win them all. My uncle got cited once for waving his umbrella at oncoming traffic because of a speed trap he had uncovered. The cop tried to arrest him, but a few choice words from uncle settled that. The case was later dismissed. Uncle had the last laugh
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Blink-Blink
Flash-Flash
Free Speech
Imagine That
Wink-Wink
:smt112
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Back in my wild days we got in trouble once for putting a car hood up against a pole that said in neon pink spray paint " radar trap ahead". Oh to be young again!
Adam -
That was because the hood belonged to the cop that lived just up the street and it was the hood for his Duece-Deville! Project he was working on! No I'm joking.
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Good Post and Good Decision!
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"The American Civil Liberties Union helped Elli fight the $1,000 ticket all the way to federal court."
Pff, if the pigs tried to get a 1000 bucks of my hard earned money for alerting people of their revenue trap I'd fight that all the way to all the freaking courts. A thousand dollars for that, what a joke we live in. -
i like just warning drivers on the CB...that way the cops dont know who said it. Were not warning about cops anyway, were warning about all those bears in the roadway.
KnoxFox23 Thanks this. -
A judge in New Mexico made a similar ruling.
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Makes me wonder why they call being a lookout for a burglary "aiding and abetting". I do not wonder why purported "professional" drivers need bear reports.
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