Prosecutor examining large number of tickets issued

MIAMI, Okla. (AP) -- The district attorney's office in Ottawa County is taking a hard look at the more than 100 tickets written in early Januaryfor seat belt violations at the Miami tollgate on the

Wednesday, February 2nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MIAMI, Okla. (AP) -- The district attorney's office in Ottawa County is taking a hard look at the more than 100 tickets written in early Januaryfor seat belt violations at the Miami tollgate on the Will Rogers Turnpike. Assistant District Attorney David Anderson said some of the people have told prosecutors they didn't have their restraints on because they were reaching for change to pay the toll or to retrieve a ticket from the tollbooth machine.

Anderson said he is a strong advocate of the state's mandatory seat belt law, but added that the issue comes down to fairness. Some of the tickets have been endorsed for prosecution, some have not, he said. "It is a question of willfulness," he said. "If a person has to remove a seat belt to throw coins into a basket or reach out and present a ticket or retrieve a receipt, it would be fundamentally unfair to require they keep it on the entire process."

Most of the tickets were written by the same highway patrol trooper, Anderson said Tuesday. He said his office contacted those who received tickets asking for more information about the circumstances under which they were cited. "We received quite a few responses back," Anderson said. "Some were disgruntled. Others admitted they weren't wearing a seat belt." The fine and court costs for a seat-belt violation are $20.