Chilly justice: Man ticketed for warming up car loses case

ROSEVILLE, Mich. – Warming up your car in the driveway might be a Michigan winter tradition, but a judge says it’s not legal in a Detroit suburb if no one’s behind the wheel.

Nick Taylor challenged a $125 ticket in court Thursday and lost. His lawyer, Nicholas Somberg, says a Roseville ordinance against unattended running vehicles shouldn’t apply to driveways.

But Judge Marco Santia says the law is in the public interest.

Taylor got attention in January when he posted a photo of the ticket on Facebook. The post was shared more than 6,000 times and garnered more than 5,000 comments.

Roseville Police Chief James Berlin has defended the ticket. He says a thief could have stolen Taylor’s car.