Woman cited for flinging lettuce out car window

(1/23/06 - EASTON, PA) -- A woman fined $173.50 for throwing salad greens out of her car says, lettuce not be too quick to judge her.

Dawn Higgins, 47, was cited Oct. 18 while parked outside a Wal-Mart in Lower Nazareth Township in eastern Pennsylvania.

"Lettuce comes from the ground, therefore it can go back into the ground," she said. "It's biodegradable. I didn't think I was doing anything wrong."

Higgins said she took her daughters and a friend to the store, and they stopped at a McDonald's along the way. She said she pulled into a parking space to finish her meal but decided not to eat the half-dozen or so leaves atop her salad.

After failing to appear in court Dec. 22, Higgins discovered she had been convicted in absentia and owed the state $173.50. She has appealed to Northampton County Court, where she said she will call her children and their friend as witnesses.

She also plans to bring along a salad to show leaves to the judge.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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