Only in America: The right to flip the bird
A New York man sues (and wins) after getting arrested for flipping off a cop — and more in our collection of strange revelations about the nation
Upstate New York resident Joshua Swartz was pulled over and arrested after he gave a cop the middle finger at a traffic intersection in 2006. Now, nearly seven years later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit has overturned a lower court's decision and dropped all charges against Swartz. The decision "reaffirms that just because you insult a police officer, [it] doesn't give that police officer the right to detain you or arrest you and take away your liberty," attorney Elmer Robert Keach III told the AP.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
