A St. Louis, Miss. federal judge has ruled that flashing headlights to warn oncoming traffic of police speed traps is protected as free speech.
U.S. District Court Judge Henry Autrey of St. Louis issued a preliminary injunction stating that flashing headlights is protected by the First Amendment and has ordered the Ellisville Police to halt the policy of issuing out tickets regarding the issue.
“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,” American Civil Liberty Union attorney Tony Rothert said. “You can’t be ticketed for that. This is no different.”
The case revolves around Michael Elli, who in November of 2012 was pulled over for flashing his headlights and a judge ruled that the fine would be $1,000.
[Source: Fox 2 News]