MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - A Vermont man arrested in 2018 for allegedly flipping off a trooper has settled a lawsuit against the Vermont State Police.
In a lawsuit later filed by the ACLU, the group says that after he was detained and questioned, Bombard cursed and did give the trooper the finger. The trooper arrested him for disorderly conduct, a charge that was dismissed a year later.
FYI: A disorderly conduct charge is just “contempt of cop”, unless it makes sense in parallel with the other charges like DUI or public nudity.
Multiple cops have openly admitted in person to me that they use it for compliance where force isn’t justified. “Move along or you’re about to become disorderly”.
There’s a few like that and ‘Breach of Peace’ clearly designed as a catch all for the “It never occurred to us someone would do that” scenarios.
It’s definitely rife for abuse, even if it is often used for more banal things.