Pennsylvania State Police Agree to Stop Issuing Citations for Profanity

[Walker]

PHILADELPHIA - The Pennsylvania State Police has agreed to stop citing individuals for disorderly conduct for profanity and to provide mandatory training to its officers about free speech as part of a settlement the agency reached with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. The settlement enabled the ACLU to voluntarily dismiss a federal lawsuit against the state police over this practice today.

In May 2010 the ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Luzerne County woman who was cited for disorderly conduct for yelling "asshole" at a motorcyclist who swerved close to her.


Rest of this story is here: http://www.aclupa.org/pressroom/pennsylvaniastatepoliceagr.htm

[Lloyd Danforth]

Fuck'in A!

[Jim Johnson]

Fuck'in A!

That's a paddl'n.

[Pat K]

Holy Fuck Batman, I have spent a Shit load of
Fucking time in PA. Amazing I was not shot Fucking
Dead right in the middle of the God Damn street.

[John]

"... these types of citations are often used by police to 'punish' people who argue with them."
Nooooo. Your kidding, right?

"... The citation noted that if convicted, she could face as much as ninety days and a fine up to $300."
Wow! Yea as in, we'll probably be able to drop the 90 day part if you just give us the $300: See how nice we are?

"Getting the state police to go from 750 unconstitutional citations per year to zero will be difficult,.."
Why will it be difficult?

[MaineShark]

"Getting the state police to go from 750 unconstitutional citations per year to zero will be difficult,.."
Why will it be difficult?

Because they're thugs with a perverse desire to get off on hurting innocent people, and they won't want to stop, or even reduce the level?

Joe

[Free libertarian]

When I was a kid the O'Malley's lived up the street.  They kept a tip jar you had to put a quarter in if you swore.  Mr. O'Malley was a WWII navy vet who really liked his beer and the Red Sox...the tip jar always got full when I mentioned the New York Yankees to him... **&^%!!! he'd thunder in a drunken Irishman string of profanities... especially when Mickey Mantle came up to bat or some other Yankee indignity was dumped on the hapless Sox.

To make it worse his wife and kids were Yankees fans and used the tip jar money to buy candy and probably more beer to ensure the continuity of the beer, swear, candy cycle.  He used to drive his Pontiac when he was hammered and after being declared legally blind too....I miss that guy.

Sometimes as we'd leave their house to go play sandlot baseball or driveway hoop, he'd  rise from his drunken stupor to remind his son of the evils of going to "Pot Parties and hanging out with hippies"  and send us off with another string of profanities.   The '60s what a great time to grow up.

[MTPorcupine3]

I had to read the heading twice. At a glance I thought it said that the Pennsylvania State Police were agreeing to stop using profanity. Now, wouldn't that be something?

[CJS]

FUCK THE POLICE

[CJS]

"... these types of citations are often used by police to 'punish' people who argue with them."
Nooooo. Your kidding, right?

It will be hard because using this law was how they punished people who did not lick their boots. They loved this law they got to enforce , cause it was for their benefit mostly.

If the "justice system  " wants to impress me , they would make the " disorderly conduct " statuettes disappear . I think there are 26 reasons a person can be disorderly in Illinois .

[John]

Seems like it is starting to pay pretty darn well to flip off and use profanity at the police.
I don't normally act that way but, hmmm, I am needing some money.

How long does it usually take to get paid?
Maybe I could cut them a nice deal if they pleabargain with me so we can speed the process along.

[Raineyrocks]

Holy Fuck Batman, I have spent a Shit load of
Fucking time in PA. Amazing I was not shot Fucking
Dead right in the middle of the God Damn street.

I hear ya, me too! 

[Raineyrocks]

FUCK THE POLICE