97-Year-Old Woman Cuffed, Booked For Unpaid Ticket
POSTED: 9:28 a.m. EDT April 28, 2004
UPDATED: 11:11 a.m. EDT April 28, 2004
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas -- Police in the Dallas suburb of Highland Park handcuffed a 97-year-old woman and hauled her to jail in a squad car last week for having an expired registration sticker.
Police said they have a no-exceptions policy. Everyone gets treated the same -- arrested, handcuffed, and taken to jail -- even on minor traffic warrants.
Dolly Kelton was driving herself to the beauty shop when she noticed the flashing red lights in her rearview mirror. Kelton was arrested after she neglected to pay a previous ticket for the same expired sticker.
"I just overlooked it, which I never should have done," Kelton said.
"They just clipped these things on me -- in front, not in back -- and when I got into the jail, they took them off," Kelton added. "I was really getting a little mad by that time because I thought it was so unnecessary and so ridiculous."
Inside, police booked her into jail like any other criminal, Kelton said.
"They fingerprinted me and took all these pictures of me," she said.
She was in police custody for about two hours before her
attorney arrived and she was released on her own recognizance.
Kelton said she has an unblemished 80-year driving record. She accepts the blame and doesn't fault the police for doing their duty.
"I think it's still stupid and uncalled for," she said. "They ought to be out on the street arresting criminals, not poor, aged ladies."
The Highland Park mayor sent her a letter, saying he was saddened by the unfortunate incident.
Since her arrest, Kelton has paid her fine in full and bought a new registration sticker.
Now, one of Kelton's sons is questioning the former
finishing-school teacher's treatment by police in the posh
Dallas-area community.
Her son told The Dallas Morning News the family's real beef "is
that no real judgment was displayed" in the incident.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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