Charges Dropped But Admits Guilt

St. Petersburg Independent
7 June 1968

A St. Petersburg man insisted this week on paying $10 for running a railroad warning signal, even though the charges against him were dropped.

Carl L. Nicols, Sr., 48, 2566 14th Ave. N, appeared before District 1 Justice of the Peace Jack A. Dadswell. He and four others were charged with ignoring a railroad warning and driving across the railroad tracks.

But the charges were dropped because the deputy sheriff had cited the wrong Florida statute when filing the charge.

"I was guilty," said Nichols, a truck driver for 31 years.

"I saw this other car go through the flashing lights (at the railroad crossing) and then the train engineer let out this loud blast," he said.

"I looked away for just a second and then it was too late. I knew I had no choice but to go ahead when I looked back again," he said.

"I don't think I should get away with this just because of a technicality in the law," he added. "But I'm also glad we got off, because now I don't have any points on my record," he said.

Nichols said he was driving his own car at the time he received the ticket.

He said that after being ticketed by the deputy, he heard the deputy ask headquarters for the correct statute that the charge should fall under.

"They apparently told him the wrong one," said Nichols.

After conferring with Dadswell, Nichols asked that a $10 bond he had posted be forwarded to the Florida Boy's Ranch.