State marshals are getting parking tickets in the city of Hartford, and they don’t like it. That’s because they say state law exempts them from tickets while they’re performing their duties. And now that fight has made its way to state court.
Back in February, state Marshal George Soucie was parked where he normally parks -- in a tow zone outside the state police barracks and one building down from the courthouse where he was required to be.
“I’m standing next to the parking space that I received a ticket," he told WNPR. "In a tow zone.”
Soucie spoke after he appeared in state court to contest his ticket last week. On the stand, he testified that it was his understanding that the parking laws didn’t apply to him. He also testified that he looked a bit for other spaces to park, and he couldn’t find any.
But when Eric Boone -- the director of the Hartford Parking Authority took the stand -- the judge heard a different story. Boone said that his equipment showed there were 15 empty spaces nearby where Soucie could have easily parked without messing with his job duties. In the end, the question isn’t whether there was a parking space or not. The question from the parking authority’s perspective is whether it was necessary for Soucie to park illegally in order to do his job.
But Soucie said it’s a lot simpler than that. The law just doesn’t apply to him or other marshals.
“The statute says we’re immune," he said. "I could have found another space probably but, for the last 8 years, this is where I’ve always parked at that particular time of day because there’s usually pretty good parking here then.”
Both sides will be filing briefs to the court in August.
