FLORESVILLE, TEXAS — Wilson County Sheriff Jim Stewart said he will recommend that the district attorney's office not prosecute two tickets issued in Floresville, Texas, for excessive honking by fans celebrating the San Antonio Spurs' advance to the Western Conference finals. He said he was unaware the tickets had been handed out and began looking into the matter after learning of them.

On Friday night, Spurs fans in Floresville took to the street to celebrate the team reaching the Western Conference finals. Fans in the city traditionally honk their horns along East Commerce Street and Southwest Military Drive to mark team victories.

A Wilson County sheriff's deputy issued a ticket to Beatrice Ximenez-Marroquin for excessive honking tied to the celebration. The listed violation on the ticket was unauthorized use of a siren or bell whistle, and the citation included a note reading "repeated honking to celebrate Spurs win."

Stewart said he knows of only two tickets being issued in connection with the celebration. He said the deputies acted on their own in writing the citations. "I guarantee you that there was no instruction from me," he said.

He said unauthorized use of a siren or bell whistle is a valid traffic violation, but he did not believe the circumstances of the Friday night celebration warranted prosecution. "I just don't think this met the elements that they would prosecute the violation for," he said.

Stewart said fans would not be restricted from continuing to mark Spurs victories in the streets, provided their celebrations did not interfere with other motorists. "Basically, they're free to party and have a good time as long as you're not depriving somebody else of their ability to drive down the road," he said.