Flashing headlights at speed trap is protected by First Amendment

News Channel 5 ^ | 11/04/03 | unknown

[Legerdemain]

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.

(Copyright 2003, AP)

[b4its2late]

I hope the cop that pulled me over when I was 18 reads this thread. Let him know how right I was......

[Diddle E. Squat]

Show us your headlights bump

[appalachian_dweller]

Great News! I flashed my lights to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap just yesterday morning on my way to work.

[supercat]

Gosh, you'd think cops would be happy about someone encouraging others to obey the law...

[xrp]

This helps to prove that speed traps are revenue generators, not safety patrols.

[Graybeard58]

I have been saved from a few tickets in my time by this courtesy and have done it myself many times. Always wondered how legal it was.

[tracer]

Lazy, dumbass, doughnut disposal unit. He should be out there, mobile, and visible -- working with an unmarked unit...

[_Jim]

Flashing headlights at speed trap is protected by First Amendment

Well, this marks a new low high point for law enforcement civil liberties!

[znix]

precisely

[StatesEnemy]

He should be WALKING a beat.

[Erik Latranyi]

I was pulled over for "flashing" at oncoming traffic.

I told the officer that I was just saying "Hi" to someone I knew driving the other way.

His word against mine.

[znix]

Good for Harley "Bill" Walker....stickin' it to the man. Money well spent.

[palmer]

I usually end up "flashing" my brake lights, I wonder if that is covered.

[GulliverSwift]

Good news bump. There's a "crime" that truly harms no one.


(Except the city auditor.)

[Physicist]

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

This is very telling. The defendant's actions were designed to get people to comply with the law, but this is viewed as interfering with the police. Obviously, in the minds of the police, the purpose of the speed trap was not to get people to comply with the law, but to collect fines.

It seems to me that this municipality is not very clear on what the police are for.

[Revolting cat!]

Gee whiz, we gotta bring the First Amendment and the Constitution into every little pisspot legal mishap? How about saying it's protected by common sense?! The country's gone nuts!