An Oviedo sixth grader’s brief ride to fish led to a police stop, fingerprints on a ticket, a towed electric dirt bike and a required court appearance.
Cade Kirchner was headed to a nearby pond on Labor Day, September 7, carrying a fishing pole. His father, Chris Kirchner, said the boy was roughly 300 feet from home and using the road shoulder. The family says the bike was limited to 20 miles per hour.
The legal trouble came from the machine’s classification. Police said the 4,500-watt vehicle fit Florida’s definition of a motorcycle rather than an e-bike. That distinction turned an ordinary trip toward a fishing spot into a citation that requires a court appearance.
The bike’s design triggered the citation
Fox 35 Orlando reported that the electric bike has foot pegs instead of pedals. Under the state’s rules, police said those features place it in the motorcycle category. The category requires registration and insurance for the vehicle, along with a properly licensed adult rider who has a motorcycle endorsement.
Officers cited Florida Statute 320.02, which covers an unregistered vehicle. Since Cade did not have a driver’s license, an officer placed a fingerprint on the ticket for identification. The dirt bike was taken by a city wrecker because police said the bike “is not legally allowed on the roadway.”
Body-camera video captured the warning that raised the stakes: Cade had to attend court or, as the officer put it, “they’re going to put out a warrant.” The hearing is set for a school day, so the sixth grader will have to miss class.
The mayor points to state definitions
Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek called Cade a “good kid,” but said officers had to follow definitions set by Florida law. Her explanation was simple: a two-wheeled vehicle does not automatically qualify as an e-bike. If it has no pedals, the state treats it as a motorcycle.
Police said they could have issued additional citations but chose to issue only one. Even so, that single ticket left Cade facing court over a vehicle his family says was limited to 20 miles per hour and used for a short trip from home.
His father plans to fight the case
According to ClickOrlando, Chris Kirchner plans to ask prosecutors to dismiss the charge. The legal fight follows a purchase Cade helped fund himself: the boy raised $900 through a summer business selling squirrel tables before getting the electric bike.
For now, the next formal step is the school-day hearing while Cade’s father prepares to seek dismissal.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
