Judge Dismisses Headlight Flashing Citation

newschannel5 ^ | 11/04/03 | AP

[Pikamax]

Judge Dismisses Headlight Flashing Citation Posted: 11/04/2003 9:59:37 AM

A Williamson County judge has dismissed a Franklin police citation against a man who warned other drivers of a speed trap.

He flashed his lights at them.

Harley “Bill” Walker says it cost him about a thousand dollars to appeal a City Court judge’s ruling against him.

County Judge Russ Heldman yesterday ruled Walker was right about the citation violating his free speech guarantees.

Officer Chris Marlowe wrote him a ticket for interfering with a police officer’s duties on August 14th.

The Franklin city police chief has now written a memo to officers, telling them not to cite drivers for flashing their lights in warning.

Heldman invited appeal of his ruling, saying it’s an issue scholars may want to investigate.

For his part, Walker is pleased to win his case, but says he’ll flash only his brights next time. He says the only way Marlowe knew he was flashing his lights was because his tail lights were going on and off.

[pgkdan]

Officer Chris Marlowe wrote him a ticket for interfering with a police officer’s duties on August 14th.

How is this so? Flashing lights alert drivers of a speed trap and thereby encourage speeders to slow down. I thought that traffic cops wanted people to drive within the speed limit. Or is the real offense that the cop is PO'd because he's not meeting his ticket "quota".

[TSgt]

"...interfering with a police officer’s duties..."

I.E. Generating revenue for the city...

Piss on this cop.

[laotzu]

he's not meeting his ticket "quota"

Ticket quotas always smacked of presumption-of-guilt to me.

[sirshackleton]

For his part, Walker is pleased to win his case, but says he’ll flash only his brights next time. He says the only way Marlowe knew he was flashing his lights was because his tail lights were going on and off.

And it'll be a lot easier on your wrist too!

[JoJo Gunn]

Obviously aftermarket equipment....

[KarlInOhio]

One time my uncle got pulled over for doing that. The cop claimed that since his lights were flashing, he obviously had a problem with his car and needed a roadside safety check. When he got to checking the headlights, the cop made some smarta$$ comment like "The seem to be working now because they've stopped flashing." Pure harassment because my uncle was interferring with the roadside tax collection.

[hotshot]

New fangled plastic headlights that distort in time...

[Redbob]

I used to live near a regular after-work speedtrap in Warren, Mich., so a friend and I one afternoon made up a sign, "Speed Trap Ahead" and carried it around in the trunk until we saw the trap next time.

Cop figured out it was us put the sign up, and followed me to and from work for several days!

[Temple Owl]

I never could figure out why the cops could stop you for blinking your lights.

[litany_of_lies]

I read somewhere (wish I remember) that the Ohio Highway Patrol hands out about 500 tickets a year for this.

They can now officially KMA.

[af_vet_rr]

I never could figure out why the cops could stop you for blinking your lights.

Because the sheep let them?