Man must apologize to Ozark officer who wrote speeding citation or be jailed

OZARK, Ala. (WTVY) - An Ozark judge ordered a man to apologize to the officer who wrote him a citation and promised to send him to jail if he failed to comply.

Reginald Burks said he received the speeding ticket in December and paid the $183 fine this week.

However, he claims Municipal Judge Nicholas Bull wanted more than just to collect the fine—he demanded Burks issue a written apology to the officer.

“The judge told me the way I spoke to the officer is the reason he is doing the things he is doing,” Burks told News4 on Wednesday.

Burks attributes the officer’s behavior as the catalyst for the heated verbal exchange that unfolded in front of his children.

“After he gave me the ticket, he stood at the car (and) I said, “Hey, man can you move?” He said go ahead and go. I said, “How am I going to go if you are standing right there? Move your a** out the way.”

Burks admits that, during the dispute, he uttered an expletive.

A copy of the citation reveals Bull’s order that Burks apologize and indicates he will face a 10-day jail sentence if he doesn’t.

He said the officer who stopped him did not have speed detection radar in his car and could not determine how fast he was traveling.

While he plans to sue, Burks said finding an attorney is challenging because attorneys he spoke with have cases before Judge Bull.

Bull did not return a call seeking comment but attorneys contacted by News4 believe Bull acted within his authority.

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