NEWS: PA Man Sues Trooper over Finger Ticket

Stephen Corey is suing a Pennsylvania state trooper who ticketed him for giving him the finger, saying it was his First Amendment right. Trooper Samuel Nassan III gave Corey a ticket for following too closely behind another vehicle and then for giving an inappropriate hand signal while "passing my patrol car ... (with his) middle finger up," according to the federal lawsuit. Corey's attorney denied Corey displayed his middle finger at the officer, but said it does not matter because the trooper filed the ticket as though Corey made an illegal turn signal using his hand.



I can remember the days when someone did something like using the "f" word or flipping the bird at a cop you got a ticket for disorderly conduct; nevertheless, in this day it is an accepted practice. Call me old fashioned if you want, but I do think that obscene language/gestures should not be allowed in public, all it leads to is violence.


[edit on 5-2-2005 by Banshee]

You know lot's of people are getting killed for flipping someone off in traffic. It's an immature gesture but some people take it as a powerful insult and go beserk. That happened two times near me in the last month.

Instead of getting shot this guy got a ticket. Moral of the story is don't go flipping off everybody whether he's a stupid driver or a cop.

The individual should pursue the Trooper if he does feel his rights have been violated. However, if his intentions are only for revenge he should just take responsibility for his conduct and move on.

Personally, I don't care about the obscene language as long the individual is not cussing incessantly and shows restraint when around children.

Also question for individuals against obscene language completely...Do you mind common words that individuals substitute for the obscene language?

Isn't amazing how many people are going "sue crazy" over stupid crap?
If your not, I certainly am, but hey, if you feel your "rights" are being violated, cool, just don't whine and cry because your insurance rates, etc. are steadily increased because of such trivial crap. If he had refrained from pointing a finger (the offensive version), which he deny's doing, then the trooper would not have had to make up some crap to give him a ticket, eh?

Personally, Mr. Corey, the flight attendant, should be lucky that the trooper restrained himself to the point of not breaking his finger. I didn't just say that, did I?



seekerof

[edit on 5-2-2005 by Seekerof]

I hate to be a jerk but I'd find in favor of the cop just because he showed such creativity. There really is no law against flipping off a police officer per se, but this cop was quick enough to come up with this hand-signal citation. I like that; it's a pretty smart response to a pretty stupid action.

And, as others have said, this driver is lucky if he is cured of this practice by the encounter with a police officer. The last time I flipped somebody off in traffic he pulled into a gas station behind me and it almost came to blows. Considering the neighborhood I was in at the time, I'm lucky the guy wasn't armed.

The right for one man to swing his fist ends at the end of another mans nose.

Quote:

-Call me old fashioned if you want, but I do think that obscene
-language/gestures should not be allowed in public, all it leads to is violence.

At first glance that might seem like a good idea, but first of all who is to decide what OBSCENE is!!? THE GOVT!!!?? Great job. Maybe they should take car horns away because I get pissed if someone honks the horn at me (sarcastic). What should be done instead is people that get violent because of a finger being held up shoud be arrested. Should you flip a policeman off... NO! Should it be legal... YES! It is bordering on thought police. An action that harms NO ONE, even if people don't like it should be allowed. Will there be a list of words that we cannot use? And certain gestures? Also how would you prove the middle finger was actually meant as an insult. Maybe I am thinking "Hello". not FU... Just remember the lady with the apple driving and being chased by a bird (heli). Is this what we want? Birdie police? Just FLICK EM BACK OFF :-)


Quote:

-The last time I flipped somebody off in traffic he pulled into a gas station -behind me and it almost came to blows. Considering the neighborhood I was -in at the time, I'm lucky the guy wasn't armed.

And you think he was acting rationally? YOU should have been armed hehe... That is beside the point though. The trigger for his actions was something that essentially means nothing. If he THOUGHT you flipped him off and was wrong, you would have ended up in the same place. BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO STUPID THINGS IF YOU WANT as long as it doesn't harm anyone but yourself!!! The true problems are the psychos who would follow someone due to being flipped off.

[edit on 6-2-2005 by TheWrAiTH]

Originally posted by TheWrAiTH

At first glance that might seem like a good idea, but first of all who is to decide what OBSCENE is!!? THE GOVT!!!?? Great job. Maybe they should take car horns away because I get pissed if someone honks the horn at me (sarcastic). What should be done instead is people that get violent because of a finger being held up shoud be arrested. Should you flip a policeman off... NO! Should it be legal... YES! It is bordering on thought police. An action that harms NO ONE, even if people don't like it should be allowed. Will there be a list of words that we cannot use? And certain gestures? Also how would you prove the middle finger was actually meant as an insult. Maybe I am thinking "Hello". not FU... Just remember the lady with the apple driving and being chased by a bird (heli). Is this what we want? Birdie police? Just FLICK EM BACK OFF :-)

Oh who do you think you are kidding? (no offence meant) Anyone that is flipped off knows what the other person means and it sure is not Hello as we all know.

Now if you really want to get technical, if he did use his finger rather then his whole palm it was illegal. From a 1998 printed edition of the Illinois Driver's Handbook "Rules Of The Road".

All hand signals should be made with the left arm, through the open driver's window.

To indicate that you intend to turn right, extend your left forearm and hand upwards with the palm of the hand facing forwards.

To indicate that you intend to turn left, extend your left forearm and hand leftwards with the palm of the hand facing forwards.

To indicate that you intend to slow down or stop, extend your left forearm and hand downwards with the palm of the hand facing backwards.

Here is another from NY with pictures, kindly note it shows the whole palm.

www.nydmv.state.ny.us...

As someone else mentioned more then likely he his trying to get back because he either lost points or his insurance rates went up or perhaps both.

It would have been nice if the article had stated if he pled guilty to the charges in traffic court. Nevertheless what he did do if in fact he did it; was technically illegal.

.
I guess it is ok for the VP to curse at a Senator [Cheney @ Leahy] but don't you dare to flip off a Highway patrolman.

Can you say 'Double Standard'?

A little note, the police are there to serve the people and NOT the other way around. You don't like it? Find another job.

A police state is run by people who take themselves too seriously. They thus far in history have come always to bad ends.
.

It's just a freakin' waste of time in my opinion. Corey's just a cry baby that's all.

Sweet........Yet another article to add to the impeachment trials.
Why oh why the hypocrisy..

I completely support this lawsuit for one huge reason. Police are way too overbearing today and precedents need to be set which show that police have no right to limit our constitutional rights in any way.

The crybaby in this scenario is the police state apparatchik who can’t take an insult without abusing his piddling little power. Way too many cops feel like they’re above everyone else (probably the reason most take the job), this particular one obviously needs to be taken down a peg.

Here’s some more evidence for when Bush is hauled before the world court.

Geez, I love some of the posts.

Some tool flips off a cop when he gets pulled over, and everyone thinks the cop is picking on him?

Well, if Corey were an adult, he'd just man the f**k up and take the initial ticket. Instead, he's going to waste some taxpayers time and money with a lawsuit.

The right to free speech (which includes the right to freedom of expression, as per the Federal Court system) has limits. The common example of yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater is a good one. Speech (expression) is no longer protected when it is intended to to cause physical harm to another, or would be expected to do so by a reasonable person.

Now, I do not see how giving a cop the finger is going to cause any physical harm to the cop, or how any reasonable person would expect it to. This sounds to me like a blatant disregard by the officer for the idiot's freedom of speech (expression). It also sounds like the idiot is an idiot for flipping off a cop; exactly what was he expecting? A friendly wave back?

Bottom line: the cop was in the wrong here. The finger-flipper was in the insanity here. The wrong is illegal; the insanity isn't. Best course of action for the cop would have been to ignore the finger and simply tail the idiot; he would have messed up within a few miles, I'd wager.

I liked the cop's creativity too, though.

TheRedneck

Originally posted by shots

Anyone that is flipped off knows what the other person means and it sure is not Hello as we all know.

Ah hell, never thought I'de say this, and I'm not too sure I really am now, but I can see VERY clearly that to a cop, being flipped off is an act of aggression towards the cop, just as if a person were to fast approach a cop and buck up to him. I'm middle aged now, and since even my days of puberty when I first learned what the bird is, it has ALWAYS been not only a visible sign of aggression, but an act of calling one out for a fight.

Bare in mind, this is coming from a damn Biker, do you REALLY think I would be on the side of a cop were it truly not deemed so?

Originally posted by d11_m_na_c05

Yet another article to add to the impeachment trials.
bush_finger_flip.jpg

Hey what is the story behind that pic, do you know? I tried playing with the URL but came up blank.

Originally posted by TheRedneck

Bottom line: the cop was in the wrong here. The finger-flipper was in the insanity here. The wrong is illegal; the insanity isn't. Best course of action for the cop would have been to ignore the finger and simply tail the idiot; he would have messed up within a few miles, I'd wager.

Then the guy would be suing the cop, claiming he was picking on him.

The cop was very creative, tho!

Now what if the COP threw the finger at this guy as he pulled away from giving the guy a ticket...would the ITS FREEDOM OF SPEECH people be coming out of the woodwork and defending the cop...or again blame the cop in THAT instance too....

I seriously doubt that the cop would have given the guy a ticket if he had just flipped off another driver, so he shouldn't have given him one for flippin him off. Some cops think that they deserve special treatment and should be treated with more respect than the average person just because thay are in a position of authority. I don't think the guy should have been ticketed for the gesture, but i don't think he should have made the gesture either.

reply to post by rcwj75
as a professional, the cop is held to a higher standard. Just as i, being a truck driver, am held to a higher standard than the idiot who tries to commit suicide using my truck. That idiot can get away with almost anything; I am in trouble if I looked at the wrong mirror at the wrong time.

Sorry, but that's the way it is. You get the perks of the job, you take the responsibilities too.

TheRedneck