Pasco driver may save other drivers costly ticket

LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - Eric Campbell will tell you he's persistent.  Maybe even a little stubborn.

"I had so many friends and co-workers tell me:  Just pay the $100 ticket," he said.

Campbell never did.  His persistence may save thousands of Florida drivers a costly fine.

A Florida State trooper ticketed Campbell in December 2009 when he flashed his lights off and on warning other drivers about their speed trap ahead on Tampa's Veterans Expressway.

"A trooper sitting in the grass is a hazard.  It's a hazard to your wallet, but it's a hazard," explained Campbell.

The Land O'Lakes resident decided to fight the citation with Seminole County attorney Marc Jones -- a ticketing practice challenged before by another driver.

"You blinked your lights five times or more, and that's what made it illegal.  That seemed fishy to me," said Campbell.

Turns out the Florida Statute 316.2397.7 only applies to drivers who add lights or after-market strobes to their vehicles.  Campbell believes the tickets are just a moneymaker, but the legislature clarified the law in July which went into effect January 1, 2013.

"The argument that this is somehow doing anything other than interfering with revenue collection is, it's pretty obvious," said Campbell.

Campbell will tell you he doesn't give up, especially when he's right.