Michigan woman outraged over ticket for dirty license plate

ajc.com

A Michigan woman is angry after she was ticketed for a dirty license plate, claiming that the dusty rural roads she drives makes keeping a clean one nearly impossible.

Michelle Berry was traveling home from the movies last month when a police officer from Northville in suburban Detroit pulled her over.

"I gave her everything, she went back to her vehicle, 15 minutes later she came back with this ticket," Berry told WJBK. "I had a 'dirty, unreadable plate.'"

“I said that's a real thing? I said I live on dirty roads, how (can) I avoid it. She said well you can call the court. (I said) OK, have a good night, not going to argue with her.”

Berry was found in violation of Section 257.225 of the Michigan Vehicle Code, which states in part that the license plate "shall be maintained free from foreign materials that obscure or partially obscure the registration information and in a clearly legible condition."

Berry called the Plymouth District Court for a pre-formal hearing. She told WJBK that the magistrate offered to lower the $130 ticket by $10.

“I said $10 off? I was just sitting in the courtroom and a man who provided alcohol to a child at a party store had a $100 fine,” Berry told WJBK. How is it I am paying $130 for a dirty license plate that can't be avoided? There are 28 dirt roads locally in my community.

"There is no avoiding a dirty plate."

Berry took pictures of the dirt roads she travels to work every day and showed it to the magistrate.

"He said ‘Well, carry a rag with you and pull over onto the pavement and wipe it off,’” Berry said.