Results: Man who flipped off a trooper set to receive $175,000

The lawsuit says Gregory Bombard's First Amendment rights were violated after an unnecessary traffic stop and retaliatory arrest in 2018. Trooper Jay Riggen stopped Bombard's vehicle in St. Albans,VT on Feb. 9, 2018, because he believed Bombard had shown him the middle finger, according to the lawsuit. Bombard denied that but says he did curse and display the middle finger once the initial stop was concluded. Bombard was stopped again and arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, and his car was towed. He was jailed for over an hour and cited to criminal court, according to the ACLU. The charge was eventually dismissed. Do you agree that giving the finger, even to a trooper or police, should be a First Amendment right?

Under the settlement signed by the parties this month, the state has agreed to pay Bombard $100,000 and $75,000 to the ACLU of Vermont and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression for legal fees. "While our client is pleased with this outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place," said Hillary Rich, staff attorney for the ACLU of Vermont, in a statement. "Police need to respect everyone's First Amendment rights — even for things they consider offensive or insulting." Do you think in general police respect people's First Amendment rights ?