Iowa sheriff pleads guilty to traffic violation after telling deputy to give him ticket for illegally riding ATV

Webster County Sheriff Jim Stubbs was riding his ATV along a U.S. highway. (iStock)

An Iowa sheriff who asked one of his deputies to write him a ticket for illegally riding his ATV on a highway pleaded guilty to the traffic violation Thursday.

Webster County Sheriff Jim Stubbs was riding his ATV to look at some family property a few weeks ago when he turned onto U.S. Highway 169 for a short period of time and he realized he was breaking the law by being on that road, according to The Messenger.

“I did it and I hold myself responsible,” Stubbs said.

Stubbs found a deputy who was on the side of U.S. 169 and asked the deputy to write him a ticket for breaking the law. He said if he had not gotten a ticket it would have made him a hypocrite.

“If I’m going to have people out giving citations, then I need to hold myself to that higher standard as well,” he said. “And nobody’s above the law."

Webster County had passed an ordinance on May 8 that allows ATV travel on county roads, but U.S. Highway 169 isn’t under Webster County jurisdiction, according to The Messenger.

Stubbs pleaded guilty to one count of operating an ATV on a roadway or highway. Webster County Court Magistrate William Thatcher commended him for his honesty and ordered Stubbs to pay a $132.50.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.