Originally Posted by Daily Commute
Despite the driver's initial statement and the report that the police are trying to blame the cyclist, it sounds like the police only cited the driver.
I won't join the debate about how much a front brake actually helps braking on a fixie, but keeping your bike up to code can only help if you get into an accident.
Apparently, the Oregon legal code merely requires a rear wheel skid. So far, one Portland judge ruled that a "brakeless" fixie does NOT meet this requirement regardless of rider ability to skid the rear wheel and another judge ruled that a fixed gear bike without hand levers/calipers DOES meet the legal requirement because the legs can provide sufficient braking action to produce a skid.
So, depending on the jurist, this rider may or may not have been "up to code."