Court: Middle finger protected by the constitution
TAYLOR, Mich. — When it comes to the middle finger, police might need a thicker skin.
A federal appeals court says a Michigan woman’s constitutional rights were violated when she was handed a speeding ticket after giving the finger to a suburban Detroit officer in 2017. The decision means a lawsuit by Debra Cruise-Gulyas can proceed.
In a 3-0 decision Wednesday, the court said Taylor Officer Matthew Minard “should have known better,” even if the driver was rude.
Minard stopped Cruise-Gulyas and wrote her a ticket for a lesser violation. But when that stop was over, Cruise-Gulyas raised her middle finger.
Minard pulled her over again and changed the ticket to a more serious speeding offense.
Cruise-Gulyas sued, saying her free-speech rights and her rights against unreasonable seizure were violated.
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