Parking tickets are a real pain in the rear and some parking enforcement authorities, though just doing a job, are rather stingy. Typically, showing them a sign of one's displeasure is looked down upon, but a recent Michigan court judgment holds that shouting at parking enforcement is free speech.
Allowed to yell whenever you would like
The Michigan State University authorities made a rule that said it is illegal to do anything to disrupt a university employee just doing university business, such as giving parking tickets to everyone who deserved them, according to AutoBlog. It is recognized as rude normally, but it is not a law.
Jared Rapp was arrested in 2008 when he yelled at a parking enforcement officer putting a ticket on his car. He was convicted with interfering with a university employee. The Michigan Supreme Court just ruled on Rapp's appeal saying that Rapp's actions were protected by free speech, according to the Detroit News.
Get free speech
Depending on the circumstance, most courts have determined that annoying outbursts about cars are considered free speech. That means the annoying things are guarded by the constitution.
Honking the horn, for instance, was ruled to be constitutionally protected by the Washington State Supreme Court in 2011. According to the Seattle Times, a horn-honking ordinance was found to have violated the right to free speech of Helen Immelt, who was ticketed for honking her horn at a neighbor who ratted on her to the neighborhood homeowner's association for having chickens in the yard of her own home, which led to her being arrested in 2006. However, the state's highest court tossed her conviction, holding the law violates free speech.
However, that same year, according to CBS Milwaukee, a man who honked his horn driving by the home of Wisconsin governor Walker during his morning drive to work out of protest was fined by a state trooper. Azael Brodhead, though, was found to be engaging in non-protected behavior and in September 2011, was ordered to pay his fines.
Free speech to use lights
Some drivers flash lights to warn other drivers of cops up ahead. A Florida judge ruled earlier this year that doing so is free speech, according to AutoBlog, and law enforcement cannot ticket motorists for doing so. However, it has yet to be ruled on or tried in other states, so some motorists who engage in said activity could be targeted by police. As with any court case involving free speech, usually one has to go through many years of litigation before a ruling may or may not exonerate them.
Allowed to yell whenever you would like
The Michigan State University authorities made a rule that said it is illegal to do anything to disrupt a university employee just doing university business, such as giving parking tickets to everyone who deserved them, according to AutoBlog. It is recognized as rude normally, but it is not a law.
Jared Rapp was arrested in 2008 when he yelled at a parking enforcement officer putting a ticket on his car. He was convicted with interfering with a university employee. The Michigan Supreme Court just ruled on Rapp's appeal saying that Rapp's actions were protected by free speech, according to the Detroit News.
Get free speech
Depending on the circumstance, most courts have determined that annoying outbursts about cars are considered free speech. That means the annoying things are guarded by the constitution.
Honking the horn, for instance, was ruled to be constitutionally protected by the Washington State Supreme Court in 2011. According to the Seattle Times, a horn-honking ordinance was found to have violated the right to free speech of Helen Immelt, who was ticketed for honking her horn at a neighbor who ratted on her to the neighborhood homeowner's association for having chickens in the yard of her own home, which led to her being arrested in 2006. However, the state's highest court tossed her conviction, holding the law violates free speech.
However, that same year, according to CBS Milwaukee, a man who honked his horn driving by the home of Wisconsin governor Walker during his morning drive to work out of protest was fined by a state trooper. Azael Brodhead, though, was found to be engaging in non-protected behavior and in September 2011, was ordered to pay his fines.
Free speech to use lights
Some drivers flash lights to warn other drivers of cops up ahead. A Florida judge ruled earlier this year that doing so is free speech, according to AutoBlog, and law enforcement cannot ticket motorists for doing so. However, it has yet to be ruled on or tried in other states, so some motorists who engage in said activity could be targeted by police. As with any court case involving free speech, usually one has to go through many years of litigation before a ruling may or may not exonerate them.
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