I hired a $600-per-hour national security lawyer to fight a $60 traffic ticket – he had ‘fun’ proving I was right

A MARYLAND driver hired a $600-an-hour attorney to fight a $60 ticket for improper use of his high beams.

Nationally known attorney Mark Zaid, who usually defends national security whistleblowers, took on a much lower-profile case to fight a $60 traffic ticket.

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The ticket in question was issued to Jonathan Tishman of Maryland.

Tishman was on his way home when he was suddenly cut off by a car moving to the right as he hit the brakes and the high beams came on.

He said he decided to flash them to warn the other driver, who may not have seen him, and simply out of frustration.

Unfortunately for Tishman, the state trooper who was just a few cars away from him felt he was unsafe.

He was subsequently pulled over and given a non-point violation for “failure to use multi-beam street lighting devices at the level required for safe driving.”

Zaid, who has a penchant for technical details, found a problem with the soldier’s use of the word “use.”

The injustice was so appalling to Zaid that he passed the case to Tishman for free out of the love of justice, fairness, and a little joy.

“It’s about what’s right, what’s just and what’s fair,” Zaid told The Washington Post. “It’s also what’s fun for me.”

The problem with the cop’s language was due to the way Maryland’s high beam law was written.

Maryland law prohibits using high beams when behind a vehicle because it can reduce visibility. However, there is no mention of flashing high beams to warn another driver.

Elena Russo, a state police spokeswoman, argued that Tishman’s high beam use could be dangerous.

“Flashing your high beams when you are too close to another vehicle can be distracting,” Russo said.

“It can cause an unintended reaction from another driver and actually make a situation more dangerous.”

While Zaid was ready to fight after winning his own case against a similar ticket in 2009, his job was made easier when the police officer who issued the ticket failed to show up.

Without the opportunity to testify against Tishman or provide evidence that he committed the crime, Zaid’s argument for a “not guilty” plea remained unchallenged.