Man Who Flipped The Bird Sues Trooper Who Ticketed Him

[Cass]

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com...821/detail.html

Man Who Flipped The Bird Sues Trooper Who Ticketed Him

PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh man said a ticket a state police trooper gave him is for the bird. No, not the birds. The bird. Literally.

But 42-year-old Stephen Corey said he is suing because he believes he had a First Amendment right to flip his middle finger at Trooper Samuel Nassan III, who gave Corey two tickets last July.

Corey's lawsuit said Nassan ticketed him for following another vehicle too closely, then wrote him up for giving a improper hand signal, the middle finger.
Corey and his attorney said that's wrong because Nassan filed the ticket as though Corey committed a motor vehicle violation -- like a motorist who made an illegal turn signal using his hand.

Nassan chuckled about the lawsuit, but said the ticket was proper because -- he said -- Corey gave him the finger as part of a gesture that indicated he was changing lanes. Nassan can afford to be good-natured about the suit, because it's far from the most serious one he's facing right now. Nassan and his former partner, Trooper Juan Curry, are being sued in federal court for the fatal shooting of 12-year-old car theft suspect Michael Ellerbe in Uniontown, Pa., on Christmas Eve, 2002

[lady cop]

giving the trooper the finger does come under protected free speech. the improper hand signal thing was a reach. the thing is, when they give me the finger i will stay on their butt until they do commit a violation, and they always do. plus, it unnerves them. heh heh

[valerie]

I would never even consider flipping off a COP. Ever. Guess I have too
much respect.

I used to do it sometimes, mainly at equipment I was working with/on as
kind of a joke. But what cured me of that for all time? Seeing footage on tv
of Richard Allen Davis flipping off the courtroom/reporters. I swear it was
about THE ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life.

I'll never forget it.

I think flipping someone off is overused, anyway.

[BabyRider]

The simple fact that the man was stupid enough to give a cop the bird justifies the ticket. Free speech aside, how about practicing some common friggin' sense???!!!! Moron.

[lady cop]

Originally Posted by valerie

Seeing footage on tv
of Richard Allen Davis flipping off the courtroom/reporters. I swear it was
about THE ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life.

I'll never forget it.

I think flipping someone off is overused, anyway.

i'll never forget it either, or what is worse, what he said in open court to Polly's Dad. i am waiting to see that piece of garbage executed. do you know he actually has a website where he whines about his life and asks for penpals????

[gmc]

Where does the phrase flip the bird come from?

[2fast4u]

Originally Posted by valerie

I would never even consider flipping off a COP. Ever. Guess I have too
much respect.

Haa haa haa, respect? I lost respect for all law enforcement a long time ago. I personally know more than a dozen cops and they are all dirty to one extent or another.