Just in case your church pastor got a little too preachy against Donald Trump during the last service or went a little overboard telling people how important your offering was and you want to flip them the bird, it’s good to know you’re safe to do that, at least in Georgia.
The State Supreme Court reversed a conviction for disorderly conduct against a man who gave the middle finger to his pastor, ruling his behavior was protected speech under the First Amendment. ...
All for flipping the bird in church.
In a unanimous opinion, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned Freeman’s conviction.
He could not be found guilty under the disorderly conduct statute, Justice Harold Melton wrote, “because there was no showing here that Freeman’s act of silently raising his middle finger from the back of the church during the church service constituted ‘fighting words’ or a ‘true threat’ that would amount to a tumultuous act.”
“The alleged obscene gesture in this case was the raising of Freeman’s middle finger from the back of the church,” the court said in its ruling. “However, a raised middle finger, by itself, does not, without more, amount to fighting words or a true threat.”
Of course it doesn't. Mr. Freeman was just telling the preacher and the congregation that they need to study economics with Professor Palmer. For details, see this.