Driver Sues To Keep 'GETOSAMA'

By THE TAMPA TRIBUNE | Tbo.com
Published: November 30, 2007

» Comments | Post a Comment

MELVILLE, N.Y. - A Long Island man with "GETOSAMA" license plates now wants to get the Department of Motor Vehicles into court.

Arno Herwerth, a retired New York Police Department sergeant, filed a civil rights lawsuit against the agency this week, saying the DMV violated his right to free speech by insisting his vanity license plates be returned because it deemed the message offensive.

The lawsuit asks for an injunction against the DMV's taking back the plates until the issue has been litigated. "I've never heard of a case where the government was trying to suppress patriotic speech - speech that supports the public policy of the United States," said Vincent Amicizia, of Smithtown, Herwerth's attorney.

Newsday