Texas man's printed sign alerting other drivers got him arrested, but is anyone really guilty of anything?
A
Frisco, Texas, man now faces trial following an arrest last October for
holding up a sign warning drivers they were about to enter a speed
trap, KHOU.com reports.
Police say they spotted Ron Martin standing on the center median of a six-lane roadway, holding a sign that read "Police ahead," according to MyFoxDFW.com.
In the arrest report, police officer Thomas Mrozinski wrote that he became wise to Martin's ruse when he saw drivers "waving at us." This wasn't the first time Martin had held up a sign to warn drivers about the fuzz's presence.
Martin, who made his first court appearance on Wednesday, told WFAA he was trying to do the same thing as the police by "reminding people that there is a limit here" and that people should slow down.
So what exactly was he arrested for? The Dallas Observer reports that police cited him for holding a sign on public property.
Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).
Police say they spotted Ron Martin standing on the center median of a six-lane roadway, holding a sign that read "Police ahead," according to MyFoxDFW.com.
In the arrest report, police officer Thomas Mrozinski wrote that he became wise to Martin's ruse when he saw drivers "waving at us." This wasn't the first time Martin had held up a sign to warn drivers about the fuzz's presence.
Martin, who made his first court appearance on Wednesday, told WFAA he was trying to do the same thing as the police by "reminding people that there is a limit here" and that people should slow down.
So what exactly was he arrested for? The Dallas Observer reports that police cited him for holding a sign on public property.
Martin
is a Frisco homeowner with a family. He paints signs for a living. He
says he just wants to help make the roads safer, and he argues that his
homemade signs are more effective at doing that than speed traps.
Martin
has reported the police for what he sees as unsafe practices, including
hiding behind signs and not using their lights. "I just feel like it
was a little bit unsafe, not only for citizens, but for police officers
having to do their job," he told MyFoxDFW.com.
The
Dallas Observer reports that "most states, Texas included, don't have
laws that specifically prohibit people from giving other motorists the
heads-up that a cop with a radar gun is hiding behind the bushes."
Putting coins in other people's parking meters? That's another story.Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).
