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