Moral of the story - dont write **** you on a check to the Courts.

[The Evil Genius]

You know, I think I have been guilty of righting mean things on checks - but I dont know if I would ever go this far

Man Puts Obscenity on Traffic Fine Check

Mon Dec 16, 7:32 AM ET Add Strange News - AP to My Yahoo!

HOWELL, Mich. - A man who used an obscenity on a check he wrote to pay a traffic fine is facing a contempt of court charge.

Eric Wilmoth, 26, of Howell was to appear Monday before 53rd District Court Judge John Pikkarainen on the contempt charge.

Wilmoth wrote the obscenity on the memo line of a check he mailed to the court to pay a traffic fine. That was within his First Amendment rights, said defense lawyer Ron Plunkett of Brighton.

"This is America. I think you can say that," Plunkett told the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. "Now it's a different thing when you do it in front of a judge."

Plunkett says Wilmoth has not acted disorderly in front of any judge or even been in the presence of one for this case before he was held in contempt.

It is unknown how Pikkarainen discovered the check. His secretary said the judge would not comment because the case is pending.

When checks to pay traffic fines are mailed to the Livingston County Courts, they can go through a number of different hands, including the 53rd District Court administrator and the county clerk's office, according to district court Deputy Clerk Diane Livingston.

Any check drawing attention can be sent to the court administrator or the court's chief judge — Pikkarainen. Whoever noticed Wilmoth's check probably did not have a hard time seeing its comments.

Wilmoth "highlighted that with a yellow marker," Plunkett said.

According to Plunkett, Wilmoth accidentally backed into someone in Howell on Sept. 25.

Police ticketed him for improper backing.

Wilmoth contested the ticket in October in an informal hearing before Livingston County Magistrate Brian Brown. Plunkett said Wilmoth acted calmly with Brown and the officer even though Brown ruled against him.

"He regrets having written it," Plunkett said. "He'll apologize to the court. But at that time he was upset with the court."

[Henry]

Good grief. What a waste of taxpayer dollars.

[redman]

As a lawyer I don't mind it, although I may view this differently than a non-lawyer does.

The sole currency that courts have to deal in, if you will, is the respect of citizens. Courts, on their own, are powerless to enforce their own rules and judgements. You can't have every pissant citizen that's had a ruling go his way undermine that. Free speech protects a lot of things, but whenit undermines your institutions, it becomes a problem.

[BG]

I admire the guy for attempting to set precedent--taking a risk. Had that happened somewhere down south, he would be in jail..........

[redman]

I don't believe his motives were even that noble. I think he was just venting and now has his teat caught in the proverbial wringer.