Judge: Vet must appeal again for Va license plate

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — A Virginia judge says an Iraq war veteran must start anew to get personalized license plates that include a term deemed offensive by some Arab-Americans.

Sean Bujno's plate reads: "ICUHAJI," which can be read to state: "I See You, Haji." Some Arab-Americans object to that phrase. Bujno's attorney says the use of the word "Haji" is not intended as a slur.

A circuit court judge ruled last November that the Department of Motor Vehicles couldn't deny the Chesapeake man's license on the basis that it denigrated individuals of a particular nationality.

The Virginian-Pilot reports (http://bit.ly/Z2r80b) that in a hearing Wednesday, the judge said Bujno must appeal to the DMV a second time. But the judge said the agency will have to come up with new reasons to deny the plates.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com