Suburban NYC officer tickets his own mayor -- twice

[October 23, 2008]  MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) -- Can you beat City Hall? The question is pending for a police officer who ticketed his mayor.

In March, Officer Michael Petrillo in this New York City bedroom community pulled over Mayor Kathleen Savolt for using her cell phone while driving.

The mayor argued the incoming call was an emergency and she was in an area where she couldn't pull over. A judge agreed and dismissed the case Sept. 15, but Petrillo wasn't done.

That night, he rang Savolt's doorbell and issued a second ticket, Savolt said Tuesday.

"He said to me, 'I think the ticket was unfairly dismissed, so I'm issuing a duplicate ticket,'" she said. "So then, once I was issued a second ticket, clearly in some people's minds, it's not a legal ticket, because the case had been closed."

Savolt's next court date had not yet been scheduled.

Police Chief Steven Anderson wouldn't comment.

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Information from: The Journal News, http://www.thejournalnews.com/

[Associated Press]

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