A US citizen won a lawsuit against the Vermont State Police on Wednesday, July 26, which paid him $175,000, the equivalent of 162,000 euros, in compensation. He had been imprisoned for an hour after giving an officer the finger.
The legal battle lasted six years, according to NBC News. On February 9, 2018, Gregory Bombard was driving his vehicle when an officer asked him to stop, claiming that the driver had given him the finger. Bombard denied it, and after several minutes of being stopped, swore and gave the officer the finger. He was then arrested for disturbing the peace and detained for an hour. Criminal proceedings were also initiated, then dropped after a year.
An unconstitutional arrest
In 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Vermont and the Foundation for individual rights and expression (FIRE) took up the case. In a press release dated June 26, 2024, the two agencies accuse the police officer of “unnecessary road check” et “retaliatory arrest”According to them, Gregory Bombard had simply exercised his freedom of expression, protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
Finally, while the officer in question had resigned on May 31, the Vermont state justice system accepted the settlement of $100,000 in damages paid to Bombard and $75,000 in legal fees.
According to an attorney for the ACLU of Vermont “This incident should never have happened. Police must respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, even for things they consider offensive or insulting.” Gregory Bombard, for his part, considers himself satisfied and ready to pay for a nice dinner for his 88-year-old mother.
