If you get pulled over and cuss at a cop, can you get in trouble?

Question

something I've always wondered about?

Answer 1

Of COURSE you can.

If you make things difficult for the cop, he'll return the favor. Instead of driving away five minutes later with a warning, you might wind up getting patted down by the side of the road while your car is being searched, and driving away half an hour later with as many tickets as the cop can pin on you.

The best way to deal with a cop at a traffic stop is to be polite, open, honest, and above all non-threatening. If you challenge the cop, you will lose. Conversely, if you go out of your way to appear cooperative and helpful, the cop will usually appreciate that and treat you better.

If you get pulled over, do this:

- Wave to the cop to acknowledge that you see him and will pull over. Turn on the car's dome light if it's dark out, so he can see you do this.

- Turn into the next available safe spot that is off the roadway; preferably a parking lot, but if none are available, pull well off the road, so that the cop does not have to stand in the roadway as he is talking to you. Stopping such that the cop is in danger when he comes to your car can bias him against you.

- Roll down the window and turn off the engine.

- If you're wearing sunglasses, remove them.

- Put your hands on the wheel so he can see them.

- Tell your passengers to stay quiet.

- When the cop comes to the window, ask how you can help him.

- Answer questions honestly. If you know you were speeding, for example, don't claim you weren't. Nothing pisses a cop off faster than being lied to. (You can, however, say you weren't watching your speed.) And don't say you're sorry if you're not. If he caught you doing something that was a genuine mistake, you can say you're sorry for that; but if it was something you obviously meant to do, like speeding, he knows you're not sorry you were speeding; you're just sorry you got caught.

- Do not contradict or argue with the cop, or question his judgement.

- Do NOT take out license and insurance information until asked. This gives you more time to talk to the cop and show you are an upright citizen.

- If you know you are going to get a ticket, don't do ANYTHING that will help the cop remember you - swearing, arguing, begging, promising to call his superiors. Especially, do NOT promise to see him in court, even if you know you will be going. Continue to be polite, take the ticket, and be on your way. If the cop doesn't remember you well, it can help you in court later.

By following these steps I have charmed my way out of several tickets. Keep them in mind.

Answer 2

I'm not sure if you do... it changes per country and even then it changes per state/province/territory. Mostly you don't get charged or anything for cussing, but if you do cuss, then you'd probably find yourself in real trouble more easily than if you just patiently co-operated. I don't know why people would cuss at a cop anyway. As long as you know you haven't done anything wrong, there should be no reason to get so angry. Unless the police are corrupt, but that's a different story.

Answer 3

When a cop pulls you over, you are detained and if you give him lip, you can get in serious trouble. Best thing to do is be polite and dont give him or her any reason to want to haul you off to jail. My friend is a cop in Oakland, CA and he told me that usually when people cuss at a cop, that just starts a situation that quickly escalates. And, if he has to call backup, you can bet your booty you are being carted off. Just take the ticket, grin and bear it--and do your complalining in court before a judge if you want to fight it.

Answer 4

First you are being pulled over for a reason, you cuss at them, and the police have tickets called stupidity charges, they are little known and very seldom used items, no stickers on the back window, nothing hanging from your rear view mirror, and so on.
Also was that radio too loud, sounded like it to me. They can keep writing for about as long as you can cuss.

Answer 5

Unfortunatelly, in TX there is a stipulation in the penal code which states that a police officer, due to occupation may not take offense to bad words or gestures, so it is not illegal to cuss at an officer in TX, however, one must not forget that the officer may ticket you or cite you at his own discretion, so it is generally a good idea to make the officer feel that you will voluntarily comply to the law without needing to have a citation issued to you.

Answer 6

Actually depending on your state and jurisdiction it may or may not be illegal. In Texas, you could be arrested for disorderly conduct. It is as follows: Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: (1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace; (2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace; (3) creates, by chemical means, a noxious and unreasonable odor in a public place; (4) abuses or threatens a person in a public place in an obviously offensive manner; (5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy;

Answer 7

they can charge you with a minor thing but there is no law said you can not cuss at a cop while pulled over

Answer 8

Yes, it is very unwise to do so. He can order you out of the car, and brutailze you, if it is in a desolate area. He can arrest you on a disturbing the peace charge, and he could tack charges on you that you will not be able defend successfully in court. It willcome down to your word, or his, and most of the time it will be his word that will prevail. So save yourself some trouble. Hold your tongue, until he is way clear of you, then you can do what you want.

Answer 9

Yeah better believe it, you might just get more than the traffic ticket you were stopped for in the first place, or may even get arrested for excessive language, if the cop's a real ****** you'll get it real good

Answer 10

Yep. How much trouble depends on the cop.