A federal court has ruled that a man, who used profanities on his speeding ticket payment form and was arrested as a result, had his First Amendment rights violated.
When William Barboza submitted his ticket payment for a speeding ticket in the Town of Liberty, he was arrested for writing profanities on it.
“Instead of protecting freedom of speech, government officers in Liberty handcuffed me, arrested me for a crime and almost sent me to jail because I harmlessly expressed by frustration with a speeding ticket,” he said.
Barboza, who was 21 at the time he was pulled over in 2012, pled guilty by mail and made his comments. His payment was rejected and he was ordered to appear in local court.
“New Yorkers should not be afraid to protest or complain about a speeding ticket – or any other government action – because they might be dragged to jail for using a few harmless words,” said New York Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Mariko Hirose. “The First Amendment protects people’s rights to express their opinions about the government, and our government is better for it.”
