First Amendment Protects Us From Consequences For Rudeness to Police Being Treated As A Crime
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer
While it may not make good common sense to flip off a police officer or use profanity when he or she is deciding whether to cite you with a traffic offense or to arrest you for a crime that is – well “arrestable” or not depending on the officer’s discretion — it is clear in Colorado that the US and Colorado versions of the First Amendment’s protection for free speech are alive and well.
Two recent Colorado cases have resulted in dismissals and large monetary awards after police officers made arrests in response to being fliped off or being sworn at by Colorado citizens.