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Six months ago – this traffic stop and an unwritten rule caused Florida Highway Patrol trooper Charles Swindle to lose his job.

Swindle was fired for giving a state lawmaker a ten dollar ticket instead of a 250 dollar speeding ticket. The lawmaker complained. Swindle was fired. The trooper fought back…and an appeals panel said the firing was too harsh. He’s going back on the road. His attorney says even though his client is going back to work – the fight continues.

”If he does any little minuet thing wrong they can fire him as a second offense,” said Sid Matthew, Trooper Swindle’s attorney.

Trooper Swindle will return to work at Troop H in Tallahassee on Friday. F-H-P wouldn’t go on camera about the case, but released a statement.

In part, it says: “…The Department reiterates its commitment to holding our employees accountable when their actions violate the public trust, that we, as law enforcement officers, have been given.” With one strike against Swindle – a minor infraction may make it easier for him to be fired again.

”If we have to appeal to the District Court of Appeal to get his record cleared and named cleared we’re going to do that,” said Matthew.

But in the meantime, he says he is ready to be back on the roads.

”I’m happy to be going back to work. I’m ready to get back out there and do my job,” said Trooper Swindle.

The case will likely be tied up in an appeals court for up to a year also undecided is whether he’ll get back lost overtime pay amounting to 25 thousand dollars.