Law Office of Milly Thompson
Dear San Antonio Law Enforcement:
Please Seek Training on the First Amendment
from Someone Other Than Your Chief.
My clients’ Disorderly Conduct cases were set for trial today in San Antonio Municipal court. They were charged with Disorderly Conduct for wearing motorcycle club patches showing they were in a motorcycle club. The cases were dismissed this morning. I was disappointed. Someone needed to explain the First Amendment to the officer that issued the citation. I had hoped I would get to during cross-examination. For some reason, the licensed attorney that is running the City Attorney’s Office refuses to properly explain the law to LE in SA.
The complaint against my clients stated that they committed a crime by wearing their motorcycle club patches as follows: “defendant…intentionally or knowingly made an offensive display by wearing of gang colors or paraphernalia, in a public place and the said display tended to incite an immediate breach of the peace.”
There is a lot wrong with this charge, but here are just a few of the issues:
Season 2 Episode 19 A Debate with a Law Enforcement Officer and Blue Knights Member
1. The Right to Associate & Symbolically Express Association Via Clothing
Americans enjoy a freedom to associate, even with groups law enforcement may dislike. United States v. Robel, 389 U.S. 258, 269 (1967). The government may not sanction us based solely on our membership with an unpopular group. Id.;and Scales v. United States, 367 U.S. 203 (1961). The Supreme Court has long ruled against government action that imposes criminal sanction or denies rights “solely because of a citizen’s association with an unpopular organization.” Healy v. James, 408 U.S. 169, 185-86 (1972). This is true even if some members of the organization do engage in criminal activity. NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co., 458 U.S. 886, 920 (1982).
Wearing motorcycle club garb is protected by the First Amendment. Sammartano v. First Judicial District Court, 303 F.3d 959 (9th Cir. 2002); Piscottano v. Murphy, 511 F.3d 247, 274 (2nd Cir. 2007).
2. The Fifth Amendment Protects Our Liberty Interest to Dress as We Please
The Fifth Amendment protects various liberty interests, including that of dress and appearance: “Regarding the existence of a liberty interest in dress and appearance…. a substantial majority of the courts considering the issue had held that such a liberty interest does exist.” Hodge v. Lynd, 88 F. Supp. 2d 1234, 1246 (D.N.M. 2000). Moreover, “[o]rdinances attempting to regulate what the general public wears, on public streets and in other public areas, have not fared well.” Hodge v. Lynd, 88 F. Supp. 2d 1234, 1243 (D.N.M. 2000) (citing DeWeese, 812 F.2d at 1369–70; see also City of Harvard v. Gaut.
3. The First Amendment Protects Our Speech, Except for “Fighting Words”
Now, I’m going to discuss the First Amendment protection for profane language directed at officers. My clients did not cuss out the cop. The reason I address cussing at cops is because even if my clients were wearing clothes that said “ACAB,” or the classic “Fuck the Police,” or any other insulting language, they still could not have been constitutionally prosecuted for it.
The rights to associate and express association are sufficient by themselves to say that this charge was unconstitutional. BUT – even if we assume that the right to associate and symbolically express association didn’t cover my clients, the officer still should not have charged them with Disorderly Conduct for mere words.
Courts across this country have correctly applied First Amendment principles to prevent the police from criminalizing those who direct language at them, no matter how hostile and abusive the language used. In the Matter of the Welfare of SLJ, 263 N.W.2d 412 (Minn. 1978) (reversing conviction for disorderly conduct for “fuck you, pigs” to police officers); Diehl v. State, 451 A.2d 115 (Md. 1982) (conviction reversed for disorderly conduct for saying “fuck you, Gavin” to a police officer); City of Bismarck v. Schoppert, 469 N.W.2d 808 (N.D. 1991) (reversing disorderly conduct conviction for saying “fucking bitching cop,” “fuck you” three times, “fuck my ass,” and “you don’t know who you’re fucking with” to the police); LAT v. State, 650 So.2d 214 (Fla. 1995) (reversing conviction for “you fucking cops, what the fuck do you think you’re doing? You are full of bullshit. This is bullshit. This is abuse,” and more directed at police); Swann v. City of Huntsville, 455 So.2d 944, 950 (Ala. Crim. App. 1984) (“this is some shit… damn you”); Ware v. City & County of Denver, 182 Colo. 177, 511 P.2d 475 (1973) (“fuck you”); People v. Justus, 57 Ill.App.3d 164, 372 N.E.2d 1115 (1978) (hysterical yelling and screaming over parking ticket); People v. Gentry, 48 Ill. App.3d 900, 363 N.E.2d 146 (1977) (stating the defendant’s presence in a neighborhood was “none of [the officer’s] fucking business”); Cavazos v. State, 455 N.E.2d 618 (Ind. App. 1983) (“asshole”); State v. John W., 418 A.2d 1097 (ME 1980) (“hey, you fucking pig, you fuckin’ kangaroo”); and my favorite State v. Hampton, 66 Ohio App.3d 30, 583 N.E.2d 400 (1990) (“just because you’ve got a fucking badge you think you can fuck with poor people…fuck you and your gun”); and more.
I’m going to summarize the law on this, and you can read the more elaborate version below, if you like.* Simply: The police can’t arrest people for words alone. The words must be so extreme that they would cause an average person on the receiving end of words to want to physically fight and hurt the speaker. If the words are directed at a police officer, we expect police to control themselves. Words that would make a civilian want to fight the speaker cannot be criminalized if they’re directed at a cop because we hold the police to a higher standard.
Insane Throttle 
25 responses to “Disorderly Conduct Charges for Wearing Motorcycle Club Patches?Wearing motorcycle club garb is protected by the First Amendment.”
Disorderly conduct?!? Complete bull… It’s not a gang thing, it’s a family thing. Stop discriminating on MC’s!!
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SYLB
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Where’s all the comments at? Isn’t this something that people should be talking about?
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Then cops should get a charge for wearing their patches and uniforms.Biker clubs were carved out of American military organization.Stop pacifying us.How many crooked and corrupt cops have there been in our history?Probably more criminals in a police uniform than a club cut.
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The “Bill of Rights”, the first ten Amendment’s are Inalienable Rights, GOD given, not government privileges. FREEDOM.
Pigs, Cops, Police are narcissistic narcissist POS.
“NEVER BE WITH THOSE COLD AND TIMID SOULS WHO NEITHER KNOW VICTORY NOR DEFEAT”
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I think I may love Milly Thompson. Get so tired of the harrassment. Never ends.
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I’ll bet he wouldn’t have given ANTIFA a citation for wearing their garb. What a DICK.
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Has the SA police officer’s name been publicly announced that violated the Constitutional Rights and charged this out standing citizen with “disorderly conduct”?
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KFFK
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KFFK. Black and Grey All Day Every Day
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Is the “Milly Thompson” ?
http://www.milliethompsonlaw.com/
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Wear a MAGA hat and you dont get an article
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Fuck the Police. Rotten Loosers
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thankyou for the knowledge posted here.
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NP Monica thanks for stopping by
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Such nonsense..
And yet other organizations like NLM and hate groups can wear clothing sending racist messages, etc.?
What the hell is wrong with this world? SMH
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SA cop’s & Sheriff dept are so full of shit.they fuck up so much you have to wonder if they hire warm bodies with half a brain.
Now the Feds that’s organized crime with a badge, RICO violates so many of ur rights.so watch out for those MF’s.
It’s unbelievable.
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Really dude?KFFK?What does your support of a revenge club have to do with a serious article like this?
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Screw LEO. Wear those Colors proudly.
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I always thought that MC members were supposed to be held to a higher standard.
I mean there’s the business end of it, and there’s trash in any household. But the very fact that there are rules and bylaws governing an MC, sets the stage and the standard for reality in the scooter world.
Not all cops are bad. Sometimes they are necessary pawns in a larger game. Many times, lack of intelligence makes one useful.
As with any organization weak links make the chain lack strength.
This attorney shows knowledge of interpretive law. Something bikers should always archive.
Some people making emotional bleatings assume incorrectly that she is helping the club to break the law, but in fact she is showing that the law, in all its majestical inequality, correctly applied, protects even the affiliated, and their standard.
Peace
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I believe that the government should concentrate more on terrorist, illegal immigrants, people that are really exploiting our system! Bikers are Americans! Concentrate more on outsiders that are doing much damage to our country.
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I live in north east tennessee and ride with a christan motorcycle club and also member of tenn coc dont remenber why i had to or the date i had to be in court and during a brake the judge sent the court officer to tell me when i returned the next day to be in proper court room clothes. I didnt know they was a dress code for court.Not one of our fine lawers would touch the case ,most said are you crazy my family and i have to live here. So damm forget it. im also a 5 yr army vet,what a deal what was it our forfarther fight and defend. What a deal.cops just do whatever they want, and that it. Glade to see someone else opening there mouth other then me. God bless &be safe .
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Freedom of speach
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Gang my ass. To be in a gang, you have to get jumped in. MCs don’t do that, they prospect.
So if I wear either all blue or red, I’m a blood or crip? Do they get citations for wearing their gang colors? I’m sure they don’t. Cops think they know everything but they don’t. We prove them wrong but they think they’re invincible behind that badge. Especially in San Antonio. They think they’re living is LA or NY. Wear your colors proudly.
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Freedom of Speech. You can say just about anything you want.
You can’t yell FIRE in a crowed theater for example.
Wearing Colors is hardly in that category.
Cops are out of control.
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