Lawyers with the Delaware chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have launched a lawsuit against police in Smyrna, saying officers wrongfully ticketed drivers for flashing their headlines to warn of speed traps.
“The First Amendment gives people the right to flash their lights to send a message,” Delaware ACLU’s legal director, Richard Morse, told the Wilmington News Journal.
Mr. Morse also alleged that Smyrna police routinely ticket drivers “for the sole purpose of generating revenue for the town,” rather than imposing safety standards, the News Journal reported.
The ACLU seeks both damages and a court order that makes police undergo new training, executive director Kathleen MacRae told the News Journal.
The ACLU chapter has filed several complaints of Smyrna police going beyond their rightful limits, including their arrest of a man for cursing at an officer, the News-Journal reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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