littering - Ohio Man Fined for Littering After Money Handed to Panhandler Accidentally Falls to the Ground

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Ohio Man Fined for Littering After Money Handed to Panhandler Accidentally Falls to the Ground

Ohio Man Fined for Littering After Money Handed to Panhandler Accidentally Falls to the Ground

John Davis of Elyira says he was pulled over by a Cleveland Police officer and given a ticket for littering after one of the two dollars he gave a wheelchair-bound panhandler was accidentally dropped.

Davis spotted the panhandler near the West 117th ramp off I-90, and his thoughts turned to his disabled brother. "I have a brother that's paralyzed," he told the local Fox affiliate. "My brother's in that same situation and struggles."

He stopped by the man to give him a couple of dollars, but while handing over the cash, one of the paper bills accidentally slipped and fell. Davis says the man immediately picked it up.

But a short while later Davis was ordered by a police officer to pull over, and told he was being cited for littering.

Cleveland does have a law banning drivers from giving money to panhandlers situated near highways, but Davis notes that he was explicitly ticketed for littering from a motor vehicle. He plans to challenge his $500 fine in court.

"I don't mean any disrespect toward the police department at all we need ‘em but I just wish I didn't have to pay this ticket," he said, adding that the ordeal has made him wary of helping panhandlers in the future.

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