Flashing headlights as free speech?
Bright headlights image courtesy of Shutterstock.com)" title="headlights-169" width="1" height="1"/>
(Bright headlights image courtesy of Shutterstock.com)
A Delaware man ticketed for using his headlights to warn other drivers of a speed trap is the subject of a lawsuit against the Smyrna Police.
A Delaware police department is facing a lawsuit over its ticket-writing policies after the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said police wrongly ticketed a driver who flashed his headlights to warn fellow motorists of a speed trap.
The Delaware ACLU says the flashing-headlights ticket is one among several violations by the Smyrna Police Department, including an allegation that Smyrna police improperly arrested a man for cursing at an officer.
The News Journal of Wilmington reports that the ACLU filed a federal civil rights complaint on Monday. The group says that flashing lights to communicate to other drivers is a protected form of speech. The driver was ticketed with improper use of a turn signal.
Town officials declined comment to The News Journal.
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