Marine fights parking ticket while in Iraq

PORTLAND – Reports of a Marine who got a late notice about a parking ticket while he was fighting in Iraq got the attention of officials in Los Angeles, where the ticket was issued.

The mayor’s office and transportation department said they would look into Cpl. Brad Gaumont’s case, but need more information.

The 23-year-old Marine, who wants to become a police officer, was stationed in Iraq when he received a notice saying he’s being charged a late fee for failing to pay a parking ticket he received in Los Angeles shortly before he shipped out.

In a letter to his mother, Jerice Goulet of Saco, Gaumont said, “Mom, I’m in a kind of a bind here. Can you tell them I’ll pay for the ticket when I get back to the U.S.?”

The Marine’s stepfather, Michael Goulet, said his wife was unable to get any answers when she called Los Angeles to straighten out the matter.

“Jerice tried to get a hold of these people and it’s funny … you get, ‘Press this, press that, press this, press that,’ and you don’t get anybody,” said Goulet.

Angie Levine, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, said city officials are trying to get the citation information from Goulet so they can take action, but the problem is Gaumont has the information in Iraq.

Levine said Gaumont probably will have to pay only the original fine. She did not know how much the fine would be.

The mayor’s office received e-mails from several people after published reports about the ticket first appeared Monday, said Khaim Morton of the mayor’s office of constituent services.

Neal Pratt, a lawyer in Portland, has offered free legal services to Gaumont, saying the Marine is “trying to do everything right.”