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Comment by ryanmonroe | Hacker News Reader

Very odd that a judge, working on behalf of the United States legal system, would create a new punishment specifically in response to a citizen calling police officers "pigs", which is not illegal in the United States.

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I think the reason he is getting a punishment in the first place is the traffic violation. Yelling "pigs" was just a cherry on top that helped when it came to coming up with his "unusual punishment" for this scenario.

Even though the act of shouting it in itself wasn't illegal, it was still not nice and disrespectful given the circumstances, hence why it was incorporated into the punishment. I am struggling to think of a nice "unusual punishment" in this traffic violation scenario that wouldn't incorporate the yelling part, but I guess I am not as creative as this judge.

Meant as a derogatory slur, its ok? I can shout at the Mexican-Americans down at Big Box store now without repercussion? Disturbing the peace at the very least. Public nuisance.

https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/482/451.html

Largely unrelated? In that case, the bystander was trying to distract the officer. In the one above, it was the offender that was recalcitrant.

Racial heritage is a protected class. The people who lord over me with a monopoly on legal violence had better not be.

Public nuisance is a thing, no matter why its being done or who its done to. Not illegal because of the target; illegal because its a deliberately public-disturbing outburst. Like crapping on the street - never mind who you were trying to send a message to, its just not to be done.

HN is global, but many of are happy to live in the (relative) freedom of the USA, not Singapore or Communist CCP China.

https://reason.com/2019/01/04/co-man-wins-175k-for-police-si...

> In July 2016, Joshua Condiotti-Wade of Colorado participated in a public protest with signs that said "Fuck Bad Cops" and "Blue Lives Murder." Commerce City police officer Chris Dickey approached him, accusing him of trespassing and disorderly conduct. [...] > Condiotti-Wade has now received $175,000 in compensation from the city."

https://qz.com/890689/what-us-protestors-can-and-cannot-do-a...

Unless you're saying I could be arrested for standing on the street and yelling "cow" a single time, I don't think you agree with yourself.

If you're blocking a funeral procession at the time, I could understand an arrest and misdemeanor charges.

If nobody is there, nothing is being disturbed.

Try not to commit a crime while you are exercising your rights.

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