Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Pennsylvania
Giving the bird.....Is that a crime?
While driving my car at the Airport a police officer jumped in front of my car waving his hands like he was trying to take off! I Stopped my car thinking I left a child on the roof or something, only to find out that he felt I was driving to fast. I was so aggrevated at this point that I flipped him off. To my surprise (not) in the mail I received a $185.00 ticket! Isn't flipping a cop off considered freedom of speech? I certainly didn't feel that it was worth $185. I thought that this was America and that we had freedom of speech and expression, which in my opinion I was being very free with the cop despite his charge.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Giving the bird.....Is that a crime?
What was the charge on the citation?
Re: Giving the bird.....Is that a crime?
In Pennsylvania, making an obscene gesture in a public place can constitute disorderly conduct. Although there are occassions when disorderly conduct will raise to the level of a third degree misdemeanor, disorderly conduct is normally a summary offense. So, yes, you can get a ticket for giving the bird to a cop in an airport.
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