Court rejects Bible challenge to ticket

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MADISON, Wis., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A Wisconsin state appeals court has rejected a driver's claim that traffic laws violate his religious rights by referring to him as a "person."

Jeffrey Manke had argued that his reading of the Bible defines him as a "man," rather than a person, so the law doesn't apply to him.

In a short opinion, the court said Wednesday the dictionary definition of "person" includes "man" within it.

"Manke does not develop any argument for how defining him as a 'person' denies him due process of the law or how it burdens his exercise of his religion," the court said. "Manke has not met his burden to show how Wisconsin's traffic laws are unconstitutional either facially or as applied to him."

In upholding Manke's conviction in Fond du Lac County, the court said a number of other challenges he made were "equally unpersuasive."