Man charged for holding “Turn Now” sign before DUI checkpoint

Less than a mile before a police DUI checkpoint in Parma, Ohio, resident Doug Odolecki held a sign reading “Check point ahead turn now.” Police gave him a ticket and confiscated the sign: “Odolecki was issued a ticket and forced to hand over his sign. “Parma Police tell us they can’t get into the details of the pending case but a Sergeant told me that Odolecki was obstructing officers ability to do their job. They also said that the issue was with the part of the sign that said ‘turn now.'” [WOIO via AOL]

8 Comments

  • Yep, “turn now” is the problem. The rest is fine.

  • Yes, if only his sign had read, “Turn now to Jesus/Buddha/FSM” or “Turn now for Frank’s Liquors,” the cops would have been copacetic.

  • Should radio stations that provide traffic reports consult with law enforcement prior to reporting “…appears to be police activity on I95…” to determine whether they may be “obstructing officers ability to thier job?”

  • So that guy in the Chicken Suit on the corner holding the sign saying “Turn Here for Plump Breasts and Hot Thighs” is a Feathered Felon?

  • Why do cops get so chippy about headlight flashing , videoing arrests, or sign holding? There’s no obstruction. This is First Amendment plain & simple and he ought to sue.

    Waze GPS app (with many others, I suspect) will depict police traps on your route. Are they too breaking the law? What if I call my friend following shortly behind me and alert him? Obstruction? Good grief.

  • “I didn’t flash my lights to warn him, I merely noticed that he appeared to be speeding and was concerned that he didn’t know.”

    /It’ll work! … Right?

  • I believe that over the years in Connecticut there were two cases thrown out for flashing lights. The reasoning being that if the point was to not exceed the speed limit, flashing lights causes drivers to slow down, thereby not breaking the law. However, if tickets are a fundraising proceedure, then…

  • Supposedly these police activities are intended to “quiet traffic”, that is reduce speeds/danger…it strikes me the man with the sign was actually assisting them in their duty…

    Unless of course it reaallllly is just about the money, but thinking that would be very un-pro-police of me…