Vermont Man Arrested for Cursing at State Trooper Awarded $175,000 in Settlement

Published on June 27, 2024

A Vermont man who was pulled over, arrested, and locked up for swearing and giving a state trooper the middle finger was awarded $175,000 in a settlement after suing for violation of his First Amendment rights. Gregory Bombard, of St. Albans will receive $100,000 in damages and $75,000 in attorneys’ fees under the settlement signed June 26 with the Vermont State Police (VSP) and State Trooper Jay Riggen. In February 2018, Mr. Riggen pulled Mr. Bombard over for mistakenly thinking he gave him the middle finger. The police dashcam caught the encounter, and the footage showed Mr. Bombard challenging Mr. Riggen. “If someone flipped you off, what is the citation? What’s the crime?” Mr. Bombard asked the officer. He added later, “​​That would be considered freedom of expression.”...

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