Steve Magas Ohio's Bike Lawyer

TROTWOOD v. SELZ – A GREAT VICTORY FOR CYCLISTS

TROTWOOD v. SELZ By, Steven M. Magas, The Bike Lawyer In the summer of 1999 I was asked to become involved with a young man who had received a traffic ticket for “impeding traffic” in Trotwood, Ohio. Little did I know that the case would ultimately garner international intention, cause hundreds emails ...

UPDATE on FLORIDA CYCLIST’s DEATH – SINGER IN JAIL – Held Without Bond

Carlos Bertonatti, the pop singer charged with drunkenly running into, and killing,Florida bicycle rider Christopher LeCanne, is facing some new problems - relating to his passport, or more accurately "passports." According to the Miami New Times, prosecutors filed a motion to return Bertonatti to jail after he had posted a $100,000.00 bond. ...

OHIO’S BIKE LAWS

OHIO’S BIKE LAWS By Steven M. Magas, Ohio’s Bike Lawyer[1] Have you ever wondered what “The Law” actually SAYS about riding a bicycle? Many Ohio riders are familiar with some of the common rules or phrases. The “AFRAP” rule, for example. Many of us also have a sense that we have a ...

Mason, Ohio Cops CLEARED in Taser Death

MASON COPS CLEARED IN TASER DEATH In Mason, Ohio, two officers were confronted with a tough choice in dealing with a struggling man on December 14. They ended up TASER-ing him, and he ended up dead. The original story on Channel 5's website can be viewed here. I've reprinted below. The latest ...

EVER WANTED TO RIDE CROSS COUNTRY?

If you've ever wondered what a cross country ride would be like, check out this YouTube video. The rider, Bret Taylor, apparently had a handlebar-mounted camera that snapped pix along the way. He set up a six minute slide show of the ride, with a great soundtrack, and put it out ...

COURT SAYS COPS CAN’T USE TASERS LIKE CATTLE PRODS

NEW TASER CASE SAYS COPS CAN'T USE TASERS LIKE CATTLE PRODS {or words to that effect...} The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals came out with a Taser ruling that has everyone talking. In the case, a police officer stopped a man for a seat belt violation. While the facts are somewhat ...

DISTRACTION – The New Alcohol

Distraction is becoming the new alcohol. You know it's big when the head honcho of the biggest transportation agency in the country is on board. Is the scientific evidence supporting the anecdotal evidence? Is "TWD" [Texting While Driving] as bad as "DUI?" Ray LaHood is the United States Transportation Secretary. On September ...

Motorist Honks at Cop on Bike

Check out this blog posting from Orlando, and the accompanying video. It chronicles what happens when an upset motorist honks at cyclists... and then discovers the lead rider is a bike cop.... Check it out here...

CYCLISTS OUTRAGED AS POP SINGER ARRESTED FOR KILLING CYCLIST & FLEEING SCENE

THIS JUST IN FROM THE MIAMI NEW TIMES - POP SINGER CHARGED WITH DUI IN KILLING CYCLIST - Carlos Bertonatti, a Sony recording artist, was arrested after a short police chase. Bertonatti is suspected of driving his Volkswagen into cyclist Christopher Lecanne, and killing him in Key Biscayne, Florida. Police Officers ...

Cyclist Struck in Key Biscayne, FL – Hit/Run

From the Miami Herald comes this report of a cyclist struck by a hit/run driver in Key Biscayne, Florida. You can read about it here, or check out the story below... Let's Be Careful Out There. Steve Magas CYCLIST INJURED IN HIT & RUN - KEY BISCAYNE, FL A bicyclist was struck and killed ...