Showing middle finger ‘God-given right’ is not a crime: Judge

Showing the middle finger may not be good, but it’s a “God-given” human right, a Canadian judge ruled, clearing a man of charges of harassment during a neighbor’s quarrel.

In his often hilarious 26-page ruling quoted by the Guardian On Friday, Quebec judge Dennis Galiatsatos made it clear that showing a rude gesture is not a criminal act.

“To be perfectly clear, pointing the finger at someone is not a crime,” the judge wrote in his recent opinion. “Tossing the proverbial bird is a God-given and chartered right that belongs to every full-blooded Canadian.

“It might be rude, it might be rude, it might not be gentlemanly. However, this does not entail criminal liability.”

In May 2021, police in Beaconsfield, a suburb of Montreal, arrested Neil Epstein, 45, a local schoolteacher, on death threat and criminal charges after he “framed” his neighbor Michael Naccache.

Showing the middle finger is not a criminal offense, but a “God-given” right, a judge in Quebec, Canada, has ruled in a teacher harassment allegation. Getty Images

The two men feuded, and on that day, Naccash, 34, allegedly insulted Epstein and “menacingly” gave him a drill.

Epstein later testified that Naccache called him “fucking crazy” and “dip-t” and told him “you’re fucking dead”.

Epstein reacted to his neighbor’s crazy antics by telling him to “back off” and giving him a double middle finger salute before walking away from the confrontation.

When Epstein returned home from a walk with his children, he found policemen waiting for his arrest.

Naccache told police that Epstein had slit his throat, leading him to believe that the father of two would try to kill him.

“On what basis did he fear that Mr. Epstein was a potential killer?” the judge was surprised. “The fact that he calmly walked with his children? The fact that he interacted with other young parents on the street? If this is the standard, we should all be wary that our neighbors are killers in wait.”

Quebec Judge Dennis Galiatsatos chided the applicant, who accused his neighbor of threatening and harassing him just because he “tossed a bird”. Information Facebook/Radio-Canada

In his ruling, Galiatsatos scathingly rebuked Naccache for involving the authorities in his longstanding quarrel.

“Applicants may clutch at pearls in the face of such an insult,” he said in his opinion. “However, the police department and 911 dispatch have higher priorities.”

The judge concluded his decision with a flourish, lamenting that he could not literally, not figuratively, throw the case out of court.

“Alas, there are no windows in the Montreal courtrooms,” he joked.

Content Source

News Press Ohio – Latest News:
Columbus Local News || Cleveland Local News || Ohio State News || National News || Money and Economy News || Entertainment News || Tech News || Environment News

Related Articles

Back to top button