"Helping panhandler led to littering ticket, Ohio man says" Associated Press, May 31, 2012
TOLEDO, Ohio - A driver who stopped to give a couple of
dollars to a panhandler in a wheelchair at a busy freeway interchange
was handed a $344 littering ticket by a Cleveland police officer after
the cash fell to the ground.
The driver, who is now fighting the ticket, said he
cannot believe that his attempt to help someone in need might cost him a
lot more.
“It’s turned into a big hassle,’’ John Davis of Elyria
told WJW-TV after he pleaded not guilty to the minor misdemeanor Tuesday
in court. He is due back in court Thursday, when he hopes the ticket
will be thrown out.
The
panhandler was at a busy intersection during rush hour on May 17, and
it is illegal to solicit or give money at the side of a roadway,
Cleveland police said.
“It’s a huge safety issue,’’ said a police spokeswoman, Jennifer Ciaccia. “The main issue was where it occurred.’’
Davis could have been ticketed for donating to a
panhandler, which carries a smaller fine of about $160, but instead was
cited for littering from a vehicle.
Ciaccia said she could not talk about why the officer handed out the littering ticket now that the issue is in court.
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.
Davis could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Among the items considered litter, according to the city
code, are garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, bottles, paper, and
anything of an unsightly or unsanitary nature. Money is not listed,
according to the section on littering from a vehicle.
Cleveland police said they have received a lot of questions about the issue.
“Although we certainly understand the confusion regarding
this situation, it is important to understand that the media and social
media discussions primarily represent only the statement of the
individual who received the citation,’’ a statement said.
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