New Jersey  |  Constitutional Law

Calling a cop a "dickhead" is NOT an offense. You are simply exercising your freedom of speech. The classic example of this is Ruthenbeck v. First Criminal Judicial Dist. Court of Bergen County, 147 A. 625 (N.J.Sup. 1929). In that case, a cop was directing traffic in an inept manner. The defendant and the cop got into an argument. The defendant came from Russia. The defendant said to the cop, "You big muttonhead. Do you think you are czar around here?" The court said that was not an offense. So here. There is nothing more offensive in 2009 about "dickhead" than "muttonhead" was in 1929.

Good luck.

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