The Most Expensive Traffic Ticket Ever?

Guest Post by Eric Peters

Imagine a ticket for “failure to display a front license plate” – not even a moving violation – costing you almost six figures. Nathan Cox of Mechanicsville, VA doesn’t have to, because he lived it.

Well, he paid it.

$94,000.

And it could have been worse.

Isn’t he – whoops! she – handsome?

Initially, he was looking at $1.3 million. Technically, it wasn’t the fine for not having a front plate – which in Virginia is a $75 hit to the wallet (plus court costs, of course). But the vengeful Virginia State (Storm) Trooper who pulled him over for the absent plate was determined to make Cox pay.

Cox, you see, was one of those pesky people who make a fuss over trumped-up laws and codes that empower Storm Troopers to hurt people who’ve hurt no one – but who’ve affronted the Authority of the government, which is the most unforgivable of offenses (ask VW).

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Cox runs Virginia Cop Block – a web site that publishes the opposite of the usual North Korean Dear Leader-style hysterics in support of the “heroes” who enforce the state’s laws. “Heroes” such as Melanie McKenney, who pulled Cox over for – Oh, the Humanity! – not having a second government-mandated ear tag (the front license plate) pinned to his car.

This became the pretext for a grossly over-the-top/felony-style Roadside Processing, including a pat-down, which Cox later described as a “molestation,” which it was. The dictionary definition (Merriam Webster, not Wikipedia) of molestation is as follows:

“To annoy, disturb, or persecute especially with hostile intent or injurious effect. The zookeeper warned the visitors not to molest the animals.”

McKenney’s treatment of Cox – and her motive for treating Cox the way she did – certainly fits that description.

Cox’s offense was trivial. And notwithstanding the usual mantra that McKenney was fearful for her “safety,” the state law enforcer knew perfectly well who she was pulling over – having run his tags prior to the actual stop. This is something the state’s enforcers of laws always do. So even before exiting her car, she knew it was Cox and that he had no criminal record and also that he possessed a concealed handgun permit – which means he passed a federal criminal background check and had no felonies or other major offenses on his record. CHP holders are the least likely people – much less likely than a state law enforcer – to use a gun in a criminal manner.

McKenney knew this.

Plus, she almost certainly knew Cox more personally – as the guy who runs Virginia Cop Block.

The relevance of that will become apparent shortly.

So she pulls him over – and proceeds to order him out of his car – Because Officer Safety, you see. Al Sharpton and his Race Card have nothing on the Officer Safety Card.

“I’m approaching, looking in the windows, and he’s got his back slightly toward me,” the Fearful Heroine timorously explained to Fox News. And here it comes: “For my safety, I felt I he needed to step out of the vehicle.”

The guy is sitting in the driver’s seat of his car; how else is his back supposed to be facing from the point of view of someone walking up to the car from behind?

Ordering Cox out of his car was transparently punitive – Step One in teaching Cox a lesson. Remember: Cox had been ID’d, the car was not stolen, McKenney knew who he was – and the reason for the pullover was as trivial as it gets. Most people would have gotten their piece of payin’ paper and been sent on their way.

But McKenney wasn’t through. In fact, she was just getting rolling.

Having ordered Cox out of his car – a very threatening act that no doubt made Cox fear for his safety –  McKenney proceeded to humiliate Cox by subjecting him to a felony-style pat down, an invasion of his body. An armed stranger placed her hands on him, against his will – using the threat of violent repercussions if he in any way defending himself against being touched.

The very definition of molestation.

That sex was not involved (apparently, but one cannot know what was on McKenney’s mind and, she being nominally female and Cox male, it is not unreasonable to assume the possibility that she enjoyed touching his body, including his crotch) doesn’t change the fact that a molestation occurred.

By definition.

And so, Cox described his unwanted encounter as such on his web site.

McKenney sued him for defamation.

The original case – a fairly small change $5,000 case – got dismissed, but McKenney took it to the next level – Circuit Court – and sued Cox for $1.35 million. That case took three years to work its way through the judicial colon and it, too, was eventually dismissed.

But Cox had to spend the $94k defending himself against the punitive lawsuits filed by McKenney, who resented her molestation of Cox being described as such – and publicly aired.

As Cox’s lawyer noted, “Truth is an absolute defense against (an accusation of) Defamation.”

Cox was molested.

Every person subjected to such treatment is molested.

It’s interesting to note that, during his molestation, McKenney not only seized Cox’s cell phone – which he was using to try to video record the unwanted encounter – but can be seen on the in-car Cop Camera (video of which was recovered during the legal wrangling)  deliberately placing it upside down in order to prevent it from recording the unwanted encounter.

Of course McKenney said she seized the phone for – guess what? – her “safety.”

“There are reports of cell phones looking like guns,“ the fearful heroine explained to Fox News.

The more relevant “report” which McKenney probably had on her mind was the one about Cox having successfully sued the state of Virginia for $10,000 after he was charged with the infamously catch-all Disorderly Conduct by another enforcer of the state’s laws, who got annoyed with Cox for telling him – via megaphone – “Stop harassing people, we pay your paychecks.”

Which is still – while it lasts – free speech, protected by the First Amendment.

Cox recorded the subsequent pull-over and hassle – and used it as the basis for a First Amendment/Free Speech lawsuit against the enforcers of the state’s laws.   

And became a marked man twice over.

This sort of thing is not uncommon. Get on the radar – so to speak – of the state’s enforcers and you can expect what happens in any state where there are enforcers.

As distinct from peacekeepers, which of course we no longer have.