man ticketed for good deed - DawgTalkers.net

Doesn't the police have better things to do. Tax dollars in action.
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CLEVELAND —A man ticketed for littering after dropping a dollar he was trying to hand to a disabled person appeared in court on Tuesday. Fox8′s Stacey Frey reports that John Davis is learning that the cost to fight for your rights can add up in a hurry.

Not only does the good Samaritan feel that he is being wrongly punished,but the price of his $344 littering ticket is going up with every court appearance. Court costs alone could bring the total up to about $500. Factoring in time missed from work and attorney fees make his generosity even more costly.

A ticket for giving money to a panhandler would have been much smaller,but since his dollar dropped to the ground,Davis was hit with a larger fine given to people who dump trash. He decided to fight the ticket because he believes his intent was clear —he was trying to help another person who was clearly in need. He had hoped,however,that the case would conclude today. That did not happen.

“I never thought that a couple dollars could turn into a couple hundred dollars or whatever it may be at this point,” Davis said. “I mean,I seen that there was going to be court costs. I don’t know how the procedure works. Do you pay twice each time you hit the courts? I know you’ve got to pay your attorney each time.”

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crazy...I wish they would ticket people that throw cigarette butts out the window of cars.

Saw someone this morning tossing a butt out the window.

I'm not going to retype my entire post about blanket laws, lack of common sense and punishing everything to the worst case scenario... if you read it, it applies perfectly again here.

unless the point of the law is to punish the poors and their sympathizers, then it was appropriately applied.

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I'm not going to retype my entire post about blanket laws, lack of common sense and punishing everything to the worst case scenario... if you read it, it applies perfectly again here.

that's what I don't understand. This cop knew the man was not littering. This is just plain ridiculous!

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unless the point of the law is to punish the poors and their sympathizers, then it was appropriately applied.

Don't take this wrong but: WHAT!!

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unless the point of the law is to punish the poors and their sympathizers, then it was appropriately applied.

Don't take this wrong but: WHAT!!

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A ticket for giving money to a panhandler would have been much smaller,but since his dollar dropped to the ground,Davis was hit with a larger fine given to people who dump trash.

It's against the law to give money to panhandlers. The cop saw a chance to hit him with a stiffer fine since it hit the ground and apparently took it.

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unless the point of the law is to punish the poors and their sympathizers, then it was appropriately applied.

Don't take this wrong but: WHAT!!

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A ticket for giving money to a panhandler would have been much smaller,but since his dollar dropped to the ground,Davis was hit with a larger fine given to people who dump trash.

It's against the law to give money to panhandlers. The cop saw a chance to hit him with a stiffer fine since it hit the ground and apparently took it.

Abuse of power,who was the cop,Barney Fife's son. Reminds me of an episode.

Driver ticketed for giving money to panhandler gets $344 littering charge dropped
Published: Thursday, May 31, 2012, 9:30 AM Updated: Thursday, May 31, 2012, 9:59 AM
Plain Dealer staff By Plain Dealer staff
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The city dropped its charges against the driver who stopped and dropped a few bucks to a wheelchair-bound panhandler at a busy interchange May 17 -- only to be handed a $344 ticket for littering by a Cleveland cop.

"I'm happy it's done. It's over and they dropped it," driver John Davis, 42, of Elyria, said after the decision in Cleveland Municipal Court.

"It's the city's decision that money is not trash," Assistant City Prosecutor Jonathan Cudnik said in court this morning.

The case has drawn national attention, with news organizations from U.S. News & World Report to the Washington post picking up the Associated Press report. Davis, a heating and air conditioning technician who was working the day he was pulled over, was surrounded by reporters after the case was dismissed this morning.

The Lorain Morning Journal website reported that Davis said the man was holding a sign that said "Jesus loves you, please help.' " The site also said that Davis had hired the law firm of Sidoti & Sidoti to represent him today as he appeared before Judge Angela Stokes.

davis.JPGView full sizeLisa Dejong, The Plain DealerCharges were dropped today against John Davis of Elyria, 42, for 'littering' when he gave money to a panhandler.
According to the Associated Press, Cleveland police had said the panhandler was at a busy intersection during rush hour on May 17, and it's illegal to solicit or give money at the side of a roadway. "It's a huge safety issue," said police spokeswoman Jennifer Ciaccia. "The main issue was where it occurred."

But Davis was instead cited for littering from a vehicle, which carries a bigger fine. Ciaccia said she could not talk about why the officer handed out the littering ticket.

The man in the wheelchair was not cited for panhandling, but he has been many times in the past at the same spot and along other roadways, Ciaccia said.

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So it's a busy intersection and that's the main reason, yet they choose to stop the driver/riders progress to give him the ticket, for littering. Since the panhandler was not cited its difficult to argue the law against getting/giving handouts, that wasn't the infraction enforced.

It's just too bad they can't give tickets away for being a moron, this cop would get one.

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I'm not going to retype my entire post about blanket laws, lack of common sense and punishing everything to the worst case scenario... if you read it, it applies perfectly again here.

Can you at least give us a link...I'm too lazy to find it.

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It's against the law to give money to panhandlers.

Really,, why is it against the law to give money away? I don't get it.

I mean, I understand if there are tax implications, but a couple of bucks to someone that needs it.. come on now.. That's just insane.

It was maybe 5 years ago.. I was at the BP station in Aurora. I was filling up my tank when a guys car stalled right at the intersection blocking traffic.. NOBODY tried to help the guy... but me that is.

I ran out, told him to get behind the wheel and I'd push him into the gas station lot.

He thanked me.. turns out he'd run out of gas and didn't have even a dollar to get gas.. so, I had a few bucks in my pocket and I gave it to him..

I felt a bit used, but in the end, I thought,, hey,, I did a good deed for someone.

I see no harm in helping someone out.. panhandler or a guy that just ran out of gas.

I think its more illegal to panhandle then to give them money. Probably due to a few that walk in and out of traffic, block pedestrians, and generally be a nuisance. I'm sure this sounds callous, but I've interacted with a couple beggars that were REALLY aggressive and I assume these few ruined it for others.

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It's against the law to give money to panhandlers.

Really,, why is it against the law to give money away? I don't get it.

I mean, I understand if there are tax implications, but a couple of bucks to someone that needs it.. come on now.. That's just insane.

It was maybe 5 years ago.. I was at the BP station in Aurora. I was filling up my tank when a guys car stalled right at the intersection blocking traffic.. NOBODY tried to help the guy... but me that is.

I ran out, told him to get behind the wheel and I'd push him into the gas station lot.

He thanked me.. turns out he'd run out of gas and didn't have even a dollar to get gas.. so, I had a few bucks in my pocket and I gave it to him..

I felt a bit used, but in the end, I thought,, hey,, I did a good deed for someone.

I see no harm in helping someone out.. panhandler or a guy that just ran out of gas.

You should be arrested.

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It's against the law to give money to panhandlers.

Really,, why is it against the law to give money away? I don't get it.

as noted above, at busy intersections, it can be dangerous. people walking out in front and in between cars as the light changes (cars stopping/slowing down unexpectedly, etc.)

I doubt that anyone gets a ticket doing so at a BP station.

I do find it hypocritical though as I don't imagine the firemen with their boots on those same corners have ever been ticketed.

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It's against the law to give money to panhandlers.

Really,, why is it against the law to give money away? I don't get it.

as noted above, at busy intersections, it can be dangerous. people walking out in front and in between cars as the light changes (cars stopping/slowing down unexpectedly, etc.)

I doubt that anyone gets a ticket doing so at a BP station.

I do find it hypocritical though as I don't imagine the firemen with their boots on those same corners have ever been ticketed.

I believe when organizations do so, they get permitting ahead of time. I recall an issue around here a few years ago when the organizer for the local MS chapter forgot to file for the permit, and the county warned of citations if the firemen persisted on going out that day. Some local business man then called and said he would pay for any fines they incurred for them.

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Really,, why is it against the law to give money away? I don't get it.

I mean, I understand if there are tax implications, but a couple of bucks to someone that needs it.. come on now.. That's just insane.

DC enacted a law a while back to make "aggressive" panhandling illegal... some of these people would almost stalk you getting off the metro, they would get in front of you and make you walk around them while begging for money... I have to admit it made people uncomforable, especially women... I understood the need to put a stop to it... but then "aggressive" is too subjective and requires people to use common sense so a lot of cities have just gone ahead and made all panhandling illegal... I believe it is Charleston, SC that has a law that you can't panhandle, but you can sell stuff.... so you will see homeless people spending their day making these flowers out of palm, they look like this.... web page ... and they will walk up and try to "sell" you one for a couple bucks... heck some of the people that did it started to make baskets and other pretty cool stuff that you can buy at the flea market... It's still begging but it's much cooler.

I realize the fine got suspended or whatever...............but maybe the cop was on to something.

Our dollar is becoming nothing but garbage due to our gov't............won't be long till our dollar is treated as rubbish in the rest of the world. Hello Greece?

If panhandling is illegal, there are some congressmen that need to be prosecuted.

Lol I'm sure the citation was the officer's abstract critique on our government's financial policies.

You see the forest over there.......or are you stuck on the tree in front of you?

If they looked at the dollar bill as trash,he should have taken his weeks worth of garbage and told them he was using it to pay his fine.That would have ruffled some feathers.

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I realize the fine got suspended or whatever...............but maybe the cop was on to something.

Our dollar is becoming nothing but garbage due to our gov't............won't be long till our dollar is treated as rubbish in the rest of the world. Hello Greece?

It might have been dropped but the cop is still an idiot. If he had fined the guy for giving to a panhandler there wouldn't have been anything he could of done but pay the fine but littering. Where was the common sense,what point was the cop trying to make. Like I said earlier reminds me of an old Andy Griffith episode where Barney was taking every law literally ticketing everyone on everything.
Tell me,how do you think this makes the police in general look? Pretty stupid if you ask me.
Also, I understand why panhandling can be illegal due to safety but common sense still needs to apply cause ticket or no ticket if someone is in need and I can help I am gonna help. Fact