An 11-year-old Florida boy had to miss school and appear before a judge after a Labor Day ride on an electric dirt bike ended with police fingerprinting him, towing the bike and issuing a misdemeanor traffic citation.
Cade appeared in Seminole County court Tuesday with his parents and an attorney over a citation stemming from his Sept. 7 encounter with an Oviedo police officer.
His attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, according to News 6 video from the hearing.
The case now continues into December.
One Citation
Embedded media follows; please allow a moment to load.
Body-camera video obtained by News 6 shows Cade being stopped while riding the electric dirt bike in Oviedo.
The officer described the machine as a 4,500-watt dirt bike capable of reaching roughly 50 mph.
News 6 reported that Oviedo police classified it as an electric motorcycle rather than an electric bicycle. The distinction matters under Florida law.
Under Florida Statute 316.003, an electric bicycle must have fully operable pedals and an electric motor rated at less than 750 watts. Florida recognizes three classes of e-bikes, with motor-assisted speeds topping out at either 20 or 28 mph depending on the class.
News 6 previously reported that police said Cade’s bike had no pedals.
That put the machine outside Florida’s statutory definition of an electric bicycle.
Road Rules
The officer told Cade that several violations could have been cited but that he was receiving one.
“So, you’re getting one ticket today,” the officer can be heard telling him in the News 6 footage. “You could have gotten six criminal violations, but I’m giving you one.”
Cade was cited for failing to register the motorbike.
Florida law requires motor vehicles operated or driven on state roads to be registered unless an exception applies.
News 6’s earlier reporting said Oviedo police also identified issues involving insurance, a motorcycle endorsement and eye protection, but officers issued only the registration citation.
The body-camera footage shows Cade being fingerprinted before he was released.
At one point, the officer asked whether he knew the machine was a motorcycle and that he was not supposed to be riding it.
Cade acknowledged that he did.
Earlier Warnings
The encounter came after Oviedo police had already begun focusing on high-powered electric bikes and motorcycles around the city.
In August, News 6 reported that the department was holding safety sessions for parents and riders ahead of the school year.
Police specifically warned that machines without pedals and those capable of substantially exceeding Florida’s e-bike limits could instead qualify as motorcycles.
The department had also cited students earlier in the year following complaints around Jackson Heights Middle School, according to the station.
Oviedo has since been considering local rules governing micromobility devices, although the state vehicle classifications at issue in Cade’s case exist independently of any new city ordinance.
Back In Court
Cade appeared in court with his parents Tuesday while his attorney handled the plea.
His father, Chris, criticized the requirement that his son appear personally.
“How ridiculous is that that he had to miss school for that?” he told reporters after the brief hearing.
Chris has previously acknowledged that his son should not have been riding the machine on the road while arguing that police could have handled the encounter with a warning.
Cade’s attorney told reporters the case would be resolved.
The judge scheduled the family’s next court appearance for Dec. 2.
If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.