61°F
weather icon Clear

Middle finger salute protected by federal appeals court

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.

suit-against-schools-in-college-bribery-scandal-1617780/

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Burning Man removes pro-Palestinian sculpture from website

Debates and protests sparked by Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip have worked their way into seemingly every corner in the world — even the free-spirited desert festival in Nevada known as Burning Man.

Heavy fighting in Gaza’s Rafah keeps aid crossings closed

Heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian terrorists on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Rafah has left aid crossings inaccessible, U.N. officials said.