Ticket-buster attorney guns down armed attacker
BY DAVID OVALLE
A prominent Miami-Dade traffic-ticket lawyer, facing an armed robber, pulled a gun from his glove compartment and stopped his attacker dead with a volley of gunfire.
Traffic Ticket Office's Scott Hidnert was backing out of his North-Central Miami-Dade office in his black Mercedes Thursday night when the robber rushed him.
Handcuffs stuffed in his pocket and a ski mask pulled over his head, the attacker pointed his weapon at Hidnert.
''I'm lucky to be alive,'' the lawyer said.
Hidnert has been called the ''granddaddy'' of ticket defenders.
He founded a firm called Ticket Busters in 1992, one of the first to focus on misdemeanors such as speeding and running red lights.
The firm's name changed to Traffic Ticket Office three years later. Today, the firm offers legal help in Miami-Dade for $69 and up.
The incident follows two recent high-profile self-defense shootings, both fatal, neither resulting in criminal charges.
Last year, a new Florida law was enacted that loosened the standard for self-defense, allowing threatened citizens to shoot first even if attackers don't show a gun.
''I don't expect any charges. He had a gun and was aiming at me,'' Hidnert said. ``If his gun didn't jam, he would have shot me.''
Miami-Dade police spokesman detective Roy Rutland declined to discuss charges. ``The entire case is still under investigation.''
Said Miami-Dade State Attorney's spokesman Ed Griffith: ``As part of the normal procedure, we always review all of the details.''
Miami-Dade's homicide bureau didn't release the name of the slain robber.
Why target Hidnert? The lawyer said he doesn't know.
The robber's name didn't appear in a database of clients. The man, Hidnert's office believes, jumped the six-foot parking lot gate.
''He was crouched down behind a Dumpster,'' said Jonathan Bennett, office manager of Traffic Ticket Office.
Hidnert's office gave this account:
The firm had a longtime office in Miami Shores before moving in December to a nearby building, 720 NW 102nd St. It is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Although it was after closing time, staffers were waiting on a BellSouth repairman to fix their office phones, Bennett said. The repairman arrived and began work in front of the building.
About 9:45 p.m., Hidnert hopped in his black 2006 Mercedes E350, parked in the gated, well-lit parking lot. Suddenly, the gloved robber appeared.
Hidnert tried backing out, Bennett said. The electronic gate was too slow.
The man pulled the trigger of his weapon, but the gun jammed, Hidnert said. No words were exchanged.
Hidnert snapped open his glove compartment, grabbed his handgun, opened the driver's side-door and fired ''several shots,'' Bennett said.
Another robber, lurking beyond the gate, disappeared into the night.
A Miami Beach resident, Hidnert is married and has two children.
''It was a horrible experience,'' Hidnert said.
By Friday afternoon, Hidnert had returned to work.
© 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.http://www.miamiherald.com
BY DAVID OVALLE
A prominent Miami-Dade traffic-ticket lawyer, facing an armed robber, pulled a gun from his glove compartment and stopped his attacker dead with a volley of gunfire.
Traffic Ticket Office's Scott Hidnert was backing out of his North-Central Miami-Dade office in his black Mercedes Thursday night when the robber rushed him.
Handcuffs stuffed in his pocket and a ski mask pulled over his head, the attacker pointed his weapon at Hidnert.
''I'm lucky to be alive,'' the lawyer said.
Hidnert has been called the ''granddaddy'' of ticket defenders.
He founded a firm called Ticket Busters in 1992, one of the first to focus on misdemeanors such as speeding and running red lights.
The firm's name changed to Traffic Ticket Office three years later. Today, the firm offers legal help in Miami-Dade for $69 and up.
The incident follows two recent high-profile self-defense shootings, both fatal, neither resulting in criminal charges.
Last year, a new Florida law was enacted that loosened the standard for self-defense, allowing threatened citizens to shoot first even if attackers don't show a gun.
''I don't expect any charges. He had a gun and was aiming at me,'' Hidnert said. ``If his gun didn't jam, he would have shot me.''
Miami-Dade police spokesman detective Roy Rutland declined to discuss charges. ``The entire case is still under investigation.''
Said Miami-Dade State Attorney's spokesman Ed Griffith: ``As part of the normal procedure, we always review all of the details.''
Miami-Dade's homicide bureau didn't release the name of the slain robber.
Why target Hidnert? The lawyer said he doesn't know.
The robber's name didn't appear in a database of clients. The man, Hidnert's office believes, jumped the six-foot parking lot gate.
''He was crouched down behind a Dumpster,'' said Jonathan Bennett, office manager of Traffic Ticket Office.
Hidnert's office gave this account:
The firm had a longtime office in Miami Shores before moving in December to a nearby building, 720 NW 102nd St. It is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Although it was after closing time, staffers were waiting on a BellSouth repairman to fix their office phones, Bennett said. The repairman arrived and began work in front of the building.
About 9:45 p.m., Hidnert hopped in his black 2006 Mercedes E350, parked in the gated, well-lit parking lot. Suddenly, the gloved robber appeared.
Hidnert tried backing out, Bennett said. The electronic gate was too slow.
The man pulled the trigger of his weapon, but the gun jammed, Hidnert said. No words were exchanged.
Hidnert snapped open his glove compartment, grabbed his handgun, opened the driver's side-door and fired ''several shots,'' Bennett said.
Another robber, lurking beyond the gate, disappeared into the night.
A Miami Beach resident, Hidnert is married and has two children.
''It was a horrible experience,'' Hidnert said.
By Friday afternoon, Hidnert had returned to work.
© 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.http://www.miamiherald.com
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