In May 2019, a Florida traffic stop involving a provocative bumper sticker turned into an unusual arrest and later sparked a debate over free speech. Dillon Shane Webb, 23, was pulled over by a sheriff\u2019s deputy in Lake City after the officer objected to a decal displayed on the back window of Webb\u2019s pickup truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sticker contained the phrase \u201cI Eat Ass\u201d in large letters. According to reports, the deputy told Webb that the decal was derogatory and raised concerns about children seeing it. Webb questioned why the sticker was considered offensive and argued that explaining its meaning to a child should be the responsibility of the child\u2019s parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the encounter, the deputy reportedly asked Webb whether he would remove one of the letters \u201cs\u201d so the phrase would no longer contain the same wording. Webb refused, maintaining that he had the right to display the message. The situation escalated, and he was arrested and initially charged with resisting arrest and obscenity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Webb\u2019s attorney, Andrew Bonderud, defended his client\u2019s decision not to remove the sticker, describing it as an expression of his constitutional right to free speech. The unusual case quickly attracted attention because it involved the question of whether an offensive or vulgar message displayed on a vehicle could legally justify an arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The charges, however, did not last long. By Thursday, prosecutors had dropped the case. Assistant State Attorney John Foster Durrett reportedly stated that Webb had a valid defense under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, bringing the unusual legal episode to an end.<\/p>\n\n\n