State Trooper Claims He's Victim of Ticket Quota

Former Florida Highway Patrolman Christopher Maul tells the St. Pete Times he was fired in June because he "didn't write enough tickets." FHP supervisors say that was one among other productivity issues. They deny that there's a quota.Though there's no mention of Maul's filing suit against FHP, it sounds like...

By Thomas Francis

August 11, 2009

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Former Florida Highway Patrolman Christopher Maul tells the St. Pete Times he was fired in June because he "didn't write enough tickets." FHP supervisors say that was one among other productivity issues. They deny that there's a quota.

Though there's no mention of Maul's filing suit against FHP, it sounds like one's in the offing. If so, it would be the second major case against quotas by former cops -- the other being a suit against the Fort Lauderdale Police Department by Michael Hennessy, an officer who alleged that he was a casualty of a program that rewarded tickets and arrests while penalizing those who didn't run up the score.

You have to think that those officers and their attorneys -- Hennessy is represented by Fort Lauderdale's Bill Amlong -- like their chances if their case goes to trial. A cop who's judicious and stingy about writing tickets would sure win over this juror.

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