A state highway trooper has lost his job over a traffic ticket he didn't write, and now his fight has sparked a wider dispute over who gets preferential treatment for enforcing the law on the road. It began last November when Florida Highway Patrol trooper Charles Swindle stopped state Congressman Charles McBurney for doing 87 mph in a 70 mph zone. McBurney was driving with a license plate identifying him as a state lawmaker; after checking with his sergeant, Swindle told McBurney "I'm cutting you a break" and cited him only for lacking proof of insurance — a $10 ticket rather than a $280 one that McBurney could have faced.
According to Florida state investigators, Swindle told the dispatcher “I’m going to write (McBurney) a warning and be nice; I’m going to stroke him ’cause I didn’t see his insurance card."
But the episode bothered McBurney (who denied going 87 mph) so much that he wrote to Swindle's superiors on legislature letterhead, complaining that Swindle was favoring state officials. "If those who enforce our laws fail to meet the highest ethical standards, there is erosion of that confidence," McBurney wrote.
That letter launched an internal investigation, and two weeks ago, Swindle was fired for "conduct unbecoming a public employee."
And now Swindle and his attorney have appealed his dismissal, contending the Florida Highway Patrol has an unwritten policy of letting state lawmakers off easy at traffic stops to avoid trouble come budget-writing time.
If McBurney is going to complain about getting special treatment, then why is he driving around with a with a license plate identifying him as a state lawmaker?
So who's right and who's wrong in this case? What do you think?
State Trooper Fired Because Why?!?
According to Florida state investigators, Swindle told the dispatcher “I’m going to write (McBurney) a warning and be nice; I’m going to stroke him ’cause I didn’t see his insurance card."
But the episode bothered McBurney (who denied going 87 mph) so much that he wrote to Swindle's superiors on legislature letterhead, complaining that Swindle was favoring state officials. "If those who enforce our laws fail to meet the highest ethical standards, there is erosion of that confidence," McBurney wrote.
That letter launched an internal investigation, and two weeks ago, Swindle was fired for "conduct unbecoming a public employee."
And now Swindle and his attorney have appealed his dismissal, contending the Florida Highway Patrol has an unwritten policy of letting state lawmakers off easy at traffic stops to avoid trouble come budget-writing time.
If McBurney is going to complain about getting special treatment, then why is he driving around with a with a license plate identifying him as a state lawmaker?
So who's right and who's wrong in this case? What do you think?
State Trooper Fired Because Why?!?
