Teen fined, sent to anger control class after giving cop the finger

Richard Antonucci, 19, was stopped by a state trooper after improperly fastening his seat belt. The trooper ticketed him for the seat-belt violation as well as for not carrying his driver's license.vAs Antonucci was driving off, he stuck out his middle finger at the trooper; that cost him $225. LoHud.com)

Comments

[angrysockmonkey]

ooh tough guy.... bet he's not laughing now...his finger now has a price tag of $225.

I, like many Americans, still weeps for the future of America.

(hangs head and sobs hysterically in front of computer)

[cherie]

I've never understood the need to use those type of gestures. Granted he was a 19 yr old boy and was probably pretty immature, but I've seen grown men giving other people the finger in traffic as well.

Its just so pathetic and immature. If some asshat gives me the finger in traffic it doesn't piss me off it just makes me figure the guy's an immature idiot.

grow up people!

[trsochne]

ASM--I'm right there with you!

cherie, I've flipped the bird to people who have almost caused me to wreck my vehicle, since I can't organize a prayer circle right then and there, to pray that THEY aren't such asshats in the future...

Regardless--this guy is clearly a moron--Rule #1--don't flip off a cop--any idiot should be able to figure that part out--stupidity at its finest.

[Mikey]

The impetuous boy may go to jail
And there he may just linger
For not having the good ole common sense
Of never giving a cop the finger.

[MidtownCoog]

Cherie must not drive in the middle of 4 million idiots like I do.

[Mikey]

Sorry, poor grammer...

[Mikey]

KC, you're up.

This doesn't fit anywhere but it is too funny not to share:
Two New Zealand prisoners who were handcuffed together as they fled a courthouse foiled their own getaway when they ran to opposite sides of a light pole, slammed into each other and fell to the ground. Jailers nabbed them as they struggled to their feet.

[ARNOLD ZIFFEL]

What a toolbag. why didn't this tough guy give the cop the finger when he wrote him the ticket? why did he wait till they were driving away? what a tool.

[ARNOLD ZIFFEL]

What a toolbag. why didnt he give the cop the finger during the traffic stop? why did he wait till they were driving away? what a douche.

[MONKEY JERK]

THE FINGER HAS BECOME A DANGEROUS WEAPON NOW......I SEE PLENTY MORE ARRESTS IN THE FUTURE FOR SURE

[Anna]

"Free speech is free speech, no matter who it's directed at..."

Unless the 'finger'was actually 'talking'....
It was NOT free speech -
It was an obscene gesture.

Good for the cop!
It's time to hold these 'flippant' youths accountable!

[Anna]

LMAO @ the New Zealanders!
Reminds me of a 3 Stooges skit!
Where's the U-Tube?

[G-Man]

Okay the guy is a jerk, but that doesn't mean they should be able to give him a fine for it. Free speech is what makes this country great!

[elchampino]

While I like to consider myself an ardent defender of the First Amendment, I feel like this kid deserves a $225 ticket for shear stupidity.

On a more serious note - is giving the finger a ticketable offense now? Or only if you give it to a cop?

What a bunch of sheep. The cop is wasting my tax money. Anybody with a quarter of a testicle could beat that charge.

[sometimesilie]

also, consider this- his gesture of defiance could be performed as equally well by a monkey. The realization of such should make him feel like an even bigger loser.

G-Man, there was indeed, at least as of several years ago a case about just this thing. A 14 year old girl from Chicago (I believe) was arrested for I think disorderly conduct in the mid/late 90's. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, who found in favor of the girl, basically stating that while such behavior/language may be considered inciteful to the general rabble, as a trained professional, a law officer should be cool enough NOT to let such things interfere with their duties. (citation needed)

don't know whether this falls under that aegis or whether that case has been overturned or what not, but it's probably generally safer not to flip off a cop over a speeding ticket.

[sometimesilie]

here is an interesting article by a legal scholar
http://lawreview.law.ucdavis.edu/issues/41-4_Robbins.pdf

according to him (and a very quick once over of some of the article) Disorderly Conduct citations for the middle finger are almost always overturned upon appeal. Bird Flipping that results in Contempt of Court charges will, however, almost always land your ass in jail.

[sometimesilie]

please note anyone reading my above posts will be charged for 1 hour of work. As I'm an internets lawyer (BsJD Internets Law College) that will be $400.

[lynn]

it took me 5 minutes to read all 3, SIL. i think i owe you about $67.00 but will be willing to barter with you.

[twerp]

He just had it up because he was going to pick his nose is all. Cut the guy some slack...

[sometimesilie]

lynn, I round up to the nearest whole hour. But your bartering offer is intriguing :)

[elchampino]

LYNN'S A DUDE STS

Ok probably not. But they could be...

[RockyMtnMac]

I confess, I have indeed flipped people off. I have myself been flipped off. Neither one caused any bruising. People need to get thicker skin.

And ANYONE dumb enough to flip off a cop, gets what they deserve. The time to take issue with a cop is in the courtroom, not at the scene of the incident.

[troschne]

RMM--you rock!

[Charles Brobst]

It may seem cruel to fine the finger,
after all it was just following orders,
but in some countries they would cut that finger off!
At the neck!

[Nicolas Martin]

Like flag burning, cross burning, and marching in protests -- none of which involve the use of words -- giving the finger is protected expression, especially to a member of government, such as a cop.

the legal history of the finger
http://www.chiprowe.com/articles/legal-history-finger.html

[lynn]

elchampino---i am not a dude, 95% woman, 3%faery, 2%just plain crazy :)

SIL, we will talk barter sweetie, maybe i should offer $200 now, $200 later??

[lynn]

i flip peopel all the time: i call it the FFM; finger flipped missile and in my brain, their vehicle turns to flames and dust.

[lynn]

people even.

exiting stage left.

[Lee]

I can't believe how many people are siding with the cop on this. "Obscenity" is subjective. Freedom of expression includes hand gestures. How is this not unconstitutional?

First you get fined for flipping the bird, next you get fined for giving the cop a dirty look or - GOD FORBID - questioning authority.

It's a slippery slope, folks.

[joe blough]

wow...free speech isn't alive and well here.

I have the RIGHT to give the cop the finger.
Typical pig...grown up hall monitor has to tell the teacher now. "*sobbing* and...he gave me...*sniff sniff*...THE FINGER.*wipes tears away*"

Anyone who thinks that it should be illegal to express contempt for the privileged class of police officers is anti-American.

A fine for showing the bird? In the 'land of the free'? Damn, I'm almost GLAD the Wall Street guys are stripping away the jobs of dumb white joe-jobbers who fellate authority.

[troschne]

Sorry, Joe and anon--that just doesn't fly. Freedom is a wonderful thing, but flipping the bird at someone who (for the most part) protects our community is just stupid.

[Logic316]

What a complete waste of the court's time and taxpayer money. There is no clear legal definition for what "obscene" means, and nobody in a free country has a right not to be offended - not even a cop. That guy should've just called the ACLU and they could've helped get him off the hook on 1st Amendment grounds. This state trooper should've been reprimanded and told to just grow up.

[USMerc]

This is going in pretty late, but I feel I have to chime in on it...I can't count the number of times I've been flipped off while on duty...Depending on the circumstances, I have reacted in numerous ways:
1. Laughed and driven off
2. Pulled the offender over again and told them they were idiots
3. Pulled the offender aside and explained why it was a bad idea to do something like that (Some cops get really pissed, and will go off the handle)
4. In large crowds, I have found it best to give the offender a tongue lashing in front of his peers so that the situation doesn't escalate to riot conditions. (Show of force, without having to knock the hell out of the offender)
5. Arrested the offender for disturbing the peace if the crowd started getting unruly.

[Lee]

Troschne,

Stupidity? Sure.
But in this case, stupidity is constitutionally protected.

[lynn]

merc--you and your fellow policeman are brave.

thanks