A federal judge in St. Louis ruled last week that police couldn’t ticket a motorist for flashing his lights to warn other drivers of the presence of a speed trap, because the driver’s actions were constitutionally protected free speech. The ticketed driver was represented by the ACLU. Last year a Florida man, represented by a private attorney, won a similar ruling from a Florida state judge.
So does this mean police won’t arrest or ticket you for busting their speed traps? No, of course not, they’ll find some other excuse to cite you — a broken taillight, a dirty license plate, or, in the case of a Texas woman who held up a cardboard sign, standing on the curb instead of the sidewalk (which apparently is a misdemeanor in Texas). If Floridian drivers wish to try and keep on the right side of the law while on the road, they might benefit from a Florida online traffic school to brush up on the traffic laws that they have forgotten.
If police want to hassle you, they’ll find a way, Constitution be damned. Any political demonstrator knows that.