LOS ANGELES - An 82-year-old woman who was given a jaywalking ticket for taking too long to cross a busy street had her $114 US fine waived by a court commissioner.
Mayvis Coyle became a local media sensation as a result of the case, with camera crews showing up at her trailer unannounced and senior citizen advocates expressing outrage.
Last week, Coyle received by mail the June 20 ruling from Superior Court Commissioner Jeffrey Harkavy who found her guilty of jaywalking but suspended the fine.
"It sounds like a compromise, like they're trying to save face," Coyle's son, Jim Coyle, told the Los Angeles Daily News, which first reported the incident. "We're grateful for everyone's support."
Coyle was vacationing in Colorado and was unavailable for comment.
Police alleged Coyle entered a busy San Fernando Valley intersection on Feb. 15 after the red Don't Walk sign began blinking. Coyle said she walked across the intersection with her cane in one hand and groceries in the other on a white Walk signal.
Coyle said a motorcycle officer who stopped her said: " 'You're obstructing the flow of traffic,' " before issuing her the ticket. Police said throughout the case that the officer acted appropriately and was looking out for Coyle's welfare. The department subsequently launched a string of pedestrian-safety workshops at local seniors' centres.
"How could she have gone any faster?" said Bill Daniel, chief executive officer of ONEgeneration, an agency that provides services to seniors. "It just seems like we have to be more patient."
4 comments:
How kind of them
They should have nailed a zimmer frame to a skateboard, to speed the old bint up !
or given her a gentle goose..
What with a cattle prod ?
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