Kentucky bill would make it a crime to insult a police officer

[Carjosse]

The right is always complaining about liberals can't take insults and get offended by everything and yet (From CBS):

A bill moving through Kentucky's Senate would make it a crime to insult or taunt a police officer during a riot. Supporters say the bill targets people who unlawfully "cross the line" but opponents call it a blatant attempt to crush protests and a violation of First Amendment rights.

Senate Bill 211 mandates up to three months' imprisonment for a person who "accosts, insults, taunts, or challenges a law enforcement officer with offensive or derisive words," or makes "gestures or other physical contact that would have a direct tendency to provoke a violent response from the perspective of a reasonable and prudent person."

A person convicted of this misdemeanor charge could also face a $250 fine and be disqualified from public assistance benefits for three months.

Looks like the right wants to start banning speech and also banning governments from ever reducing spending on police forces. Not only ridiculous but obviously unconstitutional.

 

[MTAtech]

A clear violation of the First Amendment.

 

[Peter]

Yey, police state here we come.

How long will it be before we have to bow and call the police "Master" I wonder?

 

[Lursa]

The right is always complaining about liberals can't take insults and get offended by everything and yet (From CBS):

Looks like the right wants to start banning speech and also banning governments from ever reducing spending on police forces. Not only ridiculous but obviously unconstitutional.

So much for smaller govt and less govt intrusion into our lives from the right Look at 'em go! Trying to control more and more instead of less.

 

[Taylor]

Liberals suddenly care about free speech when "provoke a violent response from police officers" is on the line.

 

[Hamish Howl]

Liberals suddenly care about free speech when "provoke a violent response from police officers" is on the line.

And the right doesn't care about it at all.

 

[Evilroddy]

The right is always complaining about liberals can't take insults and get offended by everything and yet (From CBS):


Looks like the right wants to start banning speech and also banning governments from ever reducing spending on police forces. Not only ridiculous but obviously unconstitutional.

Carjosse:

it looks like the State of Kentucky is trying to catch up with the town of Granby, Quebec, la! A few years back Granby made it illegal to insult police officers either directly or online. Is Granby a bastion of right-wing intolerance too? I think not. Some folks just love authority, excessively.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

 

[Gaius46]

Liberals suddenly care about free speech when "provoke a violent response from police officers" is on the line.

This has gone before the SC before and with few exceptions, which revolve around making credible threats, you have a right to say whatever you want to a cop including calling him bad names. That's long settled. The question is why do legislatures continually try to pass laws that they should know are very likely unconstitutional?

 

[Mongidig]

I like it.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

In addition, from my own firsthand personal experience, Kentucky is one of those places where, at least in the more rural parts, what actually constitutes "law enforcement" is somewhat questionable, although I freely admit that my own experience is from well over forty years ago and things may have now become better defined.
As some of you sons of the South will no doubt attest, there are plenty of rural areas down there where policing is approached with, shall we say, a rather loose definition.
Now, that is NOT to say it's exclusively a Southern phenomenon, because my own firsthand personal experience ALSO includes youthful run-ins with "Auxiliary Police" in Nassau County Long Island, also well over forty years ago. Such so called "Auxiliary Police" were not trained beyond maybe a few hours of classroom instruction and some handbooks, and they weren't sworn.
They were volunteers who were given a car, a badge and a gun and told to do neighborhood watch.
And on occasion, their watch included some very questionable conduct.
But in a tiny town like, say for instance, Atlantic Beach, no one's going to question it.
Vinny Costa the Village of Atlantic Beach cop and his longtime buddy Al Krumholtz (both long since deceased) were regarded as one and the same but only Vinny was an actual police officer.
Krumholtz owned an appliance store next to the Village of Atlantic Beach Amoco station owned by my uncle, and he enjoyed harassing the local "yutes".

 

[NewfieMom]

Liberals suddenly care about free speech when "provoke a violent response from police officers" is on the line.

Liberals suddenly care about free speech? Who do you think supported the ACLU for all these years?

 

[JANFU]

Liberals suddenly care about free speech when "provoke a violent response from police officers" is on the line.

If an Officer cannot take insults/taunts repeatedly, then get rid of them

 

[JANFU]

Carjosse:

it looks like the State of Kentucky is trying to catch up with the town of Granby, Quebec, la! A few years back Granby made it illegal to insult police officers either directly or online. Is Granby a bastion of right-wing intolerance too? I think not. Some folks just love authority, excessively.

Cheers and be well.
Evilroddy.

Any court cases?

 

[NewfieMom]

This has gone before the SC before and with few exceptions, which revolve around making credible threats, you have a right to say whatever you want to a cop including calling him bad names. That's long settled. The question is why do legislatures continually try to pass laws that they should know are very likely unconstitutional?

To see how much they can get away with with and because it is fun to push other people around for as long as they can. It is called authoritarianism and Trump brought it back in fashion.
Why not suspend the Constitution and declare martial law?

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

Meh. Doesn't bother me.
Shouldn't be allowed to get in a cops face and start shrieking at him/her. IMO.
I've seen some pretty disgusting video of people shrieking in cops faces, calling them child murderers etc, generally being idiots. Very common now.
Dont know if this would ever pass. I dont live there.
Open season on cops now, just like it was teachers a few years ago.
And all because of these degenerate criminals who consider themselves above obeying the law and above being arrested.
I believe in most cases if a person engages in such behavior the cop will probably find a reason to arrest them anyway. maybe a bit of a wood shampoo back at the station as well.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

To see how much they can get away with with and because it is fun to push other people around for as long as they can. It is called authoritarianism and Trump brought it back in fashion.
Why not suspend the Constitution and declare martial law?

-chuckle-
smh

 

[NewfieMom]

Meh. Doesn't bother me.
Shouldn't be allowed to get in a cops face and start shrieking at him/her. IMO.
I've seen some pretty disgusting video of people shrieking in cops faces, calling them child murderers etc, generally being idiots. Very common now.
Dont know if this would ever pass. I dont live there.
Open season on cops now, just like it was teachers a few years ago.
And all because of these degenerate criminals who consider themselves above obeying the law and above being arrested.
I believe in most cases if a person engages in such behavior the cop will probably find a reason to arrest them anyway. maybe a bit of a wood shampoo back at the station as well.

Spoken like a Constitutional scholar.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

If an Officer cannot take insults/taunts repeatedly, then get rid of them

Where do you work?
I want to come to your work and shriek in your face like a lunatic.
Sounds like a good time.

 

[NewfieMom]

Where do you work?
I want to come to your work and shriek in your face like a lunatic.
Sounds like a good time.

You're the one who brought up people shrieking in the faces of police. Have you never seen police shrieking at citizens? Or driving their cars into crowds? What is this fixation with the screaming in faces business?

 

[JustAFella]

Liberals suddenly care about free speech when "provoke a violent response from police officers" is on the line.

There is exactly nothing you could say to me to provoke a violent response. I expect every cop to at least be able to live up to that. If they can't do their job because of mean words, they have absolutely no business being cops.

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

You're the one who brought up people shrieking in the faces of police. Have you never seen police shrieking at citizens? Or driving their cars into crowds? What is this fixation with the screaming in faces business?

You're slipping, you didn't mention donnie trump in that post one single time.
Where do you work? DO you work?
How about I come to your work and harass you.

 

[Geoist]

Can we just kick Kentucky out of the country?

 

[PeacefulWarrior]

There is exactly nothing you could say to me to provoke a violent response. I expect every cop to at least be able to live up to that. If they can't do their job because of mean words, they have absolutely no business being cops.

Or: people could just use a little common sense and not act like complete idiots.
If I walked up to a cop and started harassing them, I would expect to be arrested. Maybe worse.
I'm not an idiot, so I dont behave that way.
And I dont have to worry. I've never been shot by a cop either. Because, well, like I said I'm not an idiot.
Whatever happened to common sense?

I'll bet you see Geo Floyd as a "victim". LOL. I dont.

 

[Geoist]

Where do you work?
I want to come to your work and shriek in your face like a lunatic.
Sounds like a good time.

How would you like it if I broke down your door, shot your dog, and destroyed your property because I got a whiff of marijuana coming from your house?

 

[Ethel2]

This has gone before the SC before and with few exceptions, which revolve around making credible threats, you have a right to say whatever you want to a cop including calling him bad names. That's long settled. The question is why do legislatures continually try to pass laws that they should know are very likely unconstitutional?

Maybe you have the RIGHT to insult the police but it’s certainly a pretty stupid idea.
Generally they are the ones with the guns.