Bicyclists in the Big Apple are tired of getting tickets from the police, so they have decided to go to court to try to stop it. Their frustration stems from the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) increased ticketing of bicyclists for running red lights, running stop signs, riding on sidewalks, not wearing helmets and hanging tote bags from handlebars.
The NYPD’s efforts have resulted in 13,843 tickets to bicyclists so far in 2011. By comparison, the NYPD issued 9,345 tickets over the same period in 2010, and 3,708 tickets in 2009. Now, a New York law firm will file a class action lawsuit on behalf of ticketed bicyclists. According to some of the potential plaintiffs, the officers are issuing tickets for things that are not violations in the city.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys have an internal NYPD memo telling officers to issue tickets for a list of violations, but some are not illegal in the city. Overall, the NYPD’s attitude toward bicyclists has gotten worse over the years, according to some bicyclists.
An experienced Florida class action lawyer can protect your interest in any large-scale class action lawsuit. Contact a Florida attorney today for any questions you may have about class action litigation.