Some foes of Gov. Scott Walker march at the Capitol and carry protest signs. Others join local demonstrations. Still others send letters to the governor's office.

Then there's this guy.

Between 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. each day, someone in a black Honda would drive past Walker's house in Wauwatosa, blow his horn like crazy, give the finger through his sunroof and shout, "Recall Walker."

Week after week, the routine didn't change.

Then, on April 27, state troopers stationed at the Walker home decided to take action.

"I stopped the vehicle for the constant horn violation on today's date," wrote State Trooper Robert Simpson. "I asked the driver for his driver's license, and he immediately stated he was recording me and that he was a state probation agent."

The driver was Azael Brodhead, a 36-year-old Iraq War veteran who works for the state Department of Corrections as a probation and parole agent.

He acknowledged that he was the serial honker. He said he was upset with Walker for trying to break up public employee unions.

"Mr. Brodhead stated that he was exercising his 1st Amendment rights and he could flip us off anytime he wanted," Simpson said. "I advised Mr. Brodhead that he could not just honk his horn when he wanted to. Mr. Brodhead paused and then stated that I have him on the horn but not the first amendment rights."

Eventually, the trooper ticketed the probation agent.

The offense: Unnecessary blowing of horn.

"This guy supervises criminals all day," said one prosecutor, who asked not to be named because he didn't handle the case. "That's the most unbelievable part."

Rather than simply paying the ticket, Brodhead demanded a bench trial.

An assistant district attorney tried to cut a deal in which the Walker protester would get off with just a parking citation, but he rejected it.

On Thursday, Brodhead got the trial - but not the verdict - he was seeking.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Mary Kuhnmuench found that there was no precedent for horn-honking being constitutionally protected political speech. Brodhead, who represented himself, was fined $166.20.

"She said I was my own worst enemy," he said later. Still incredulous at the verdict, he said, "So you can honk at high-schoolers who want to wash your car, but not for this?"

Still, Brodhead said he doesn't regret pressing his case.

He said he is a strong advocate of free speech because of his background. Born in Mexico, he said he spent 14 years in the U.S. Army and became an American citizen in 2000 so he could re-enlist. After spending a year in Iraq as a medic, he is now pursuing a Ph.D. in urban studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and teaches part-time at a community college.

The ticket hasn't stopped Brodhead's one-man Walker protest.

During the workweek, he leaves his downtown office around 5 p.m., drives by the governor's residence near the corner of N. 68th St. and W. Blue Mound Road, offers a one-finger salute and bellows his support of the Walker recall effort.

Only now he doesn't blow his horn.

On weekends, he either bikes or runs by the Walker abode and does the same. He lives some 20 blocks away.

"Probation agent is my day job," said Brodhead, who made $42,720 last year. "Being a concerned citizen is 24-7."

That may be.

But supervisors in his office have initiated an internal investigation to see if he violated workplace rules with his actions. In particular, Brodhead said, they are trying to determine whether he should be disciplined for being abusive toward state troopers when he was pulled over. He has contacted his public employees union to represent him in the matter.

"I'm sure this was politically motivated," Brodhead said.

In fact, the police summary of the incident does accuse Brodhead of using repeated profanities, such as saying the troopers protected the "piece of (expletive) governor" or saying "your boss is a (expletive) (expletive)." The trooper also quoted Brodhead as directing strong language at the police, calling them "(expletive) cops" and more.

Brodhead, though, said he recorded the entire incident and it shows he said nothing abusive toward the officers.

"I love police," he said. "Except for a couple of profanities, it was kind of a like a cordial interaction."

Yeah, just another day at the office for the governor's security team.

One final question: How exactly did Brodhead happen to have a tape recorder on him when he was pulled over?

That was no coincidence.

From the start, he said, he was expecting to be pulled over by the troopers. He kept the recorder with him in case that happened.

It was all part of the routine.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ NoQuarterr.