Robert Allen

Detroit Free Press

A bicyclist in Livingston County accused of impeding traffic appealed the $200 ticket and won when a circuit court judge found in his favor.

A Michigan State Police trooper pulled over Tim Panagis of Ann Arbor in June and ticketed him for being in the road as he and other cyclists rode toward the right side of a lane. Panagis, now 26, can be seen in a YouTube video telling the trooper he did nothing wrong.

"You were in the roadway," the trooper said. "You were to the left of the white line. You can argue that with the judge."

He did. And on Jan. 25, Livingston County Circuit Judge David Reader found in favor of Panagis and reversed the district court's findings, dismissing the ticket. Bryan Waldman, attorney with Lansing-based Sinas Dramis Law Firm, told the Free Press his client was complying with the law by riding close to the edge of the road. The law doesn't force cyclists to ride on the shoulder.

"Not only does the case solidify what the law requires of cyclists, but also demonstrates that police officers do, indeed, make mistakes. The case is also noteworthy because, while cyclists rarely fight a ticket, appealing a civil infraction — and winning — almost never happens," according to a news release issued by the law firm.

Waldman said more information on the case is posted at www.bikelaw.com.

Contact Robert Allen @rallenMI or rallen@freepress.com.