Why Was A Vermont Driver Awarded $175K?

Why was a Vermont driver awarded $175K? It's a crazy story that started with him getting in a little bit of trouble!

Road Rage can get the best of all of us. Sometimes, it can result in a fight, an accident, or on the rarest of occasions it can lead to a nice payday! Chances are you've done this on the road at some point, you just weren't rewarded for it. Find out what happened below!

According to NBC News, a $175K settlement has been reached in a lawsuit of a Vermont man who claimed he was arrested after giving an officer the middle finger! The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) got involved and now his bank account is heavier than it was before he was arrested!

Via NBC News, the ACLU says a state police trooper pulled Gregory Bombard over claiming he had made the middle finger gesture, which Bombard denied. After the two got into an argument, NBC News says Bombard then did give the trooper the finger leading to his arrest on allegations of disorderly conduct. Well, that action ended up being Bombard's saving grace.

Hillary Rich, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Vermont said in a statement, "Police need to respect everyone's First Amendment rights--even for things they consider offensive or insulting." That's a great point. Just because an officer of the law is offended or encounters a rude individual doesn't give them the right to arrest them. Sometimes those power trips can end up getting themselves into a bit of hot water, apparently!

Together, the ACLU of Vermont and the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) filed a lawsuit against the trooper and the state of Vermont, per NBC News. The settlement agreement says the defendant did not admit any guilt, but Bombard will get $100K and the other $75K will go towards attorneys' fees. The lawsuit alleged violations of his First Amendment rights on protection of speech and Bombard's Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure.

This has to be the best outcome to ever occur after giving someone the bird. It can end in punches, arguments, or in the rarest of occasions a $175K payday! Check out some video reports on the case below from FIRE on YouTube!

While committing crimes may seem black and white (you either broke the law or you didn't), there are certainly some crimes that are dumber than others. Sometimes it's the crime itself that's wild, other times, it's the people committing said crimes. These are 5 of the craziest, cringeworthy crimes ever committed.

Crimes can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. However, it takes a very unique individual, a case study if you will, to commit some of these outrageously dumb crimes. Years ago, these criminals would have been featured on Spike TV or one of those America's Dumbest Criminal shows. Today, I'm not sure if those shows are around...and I'm certain Spike TV isn't around anymore. That's a story for another time.

Crimes can happen for a number of reasons. They may happen out of necessity. They could also happen on accident. These crimes, however, do not fall into those categories. These crimes are different. None of these would accidentally happen. They also aren't a matter of life or death. There's no ethics quiz here, or any matters of 'would you steal bread to support your family?' These crimes, and criminals, aren't straight up cringeworthy.

While all of these crimes are crazy and certainly cringeworthy, they also make for excellent conversation pieces. That's why I've gone and found five examples of the wildest stories that Dave and Chuck the Freak have talked about and made a list highlighting the best of the best. Let's be honest...what's better than reading a story about one of the craziest crimes ever committed? Or, watching Dave and Chuck the Freak talk about some of the dumbest crimes ever committed? Personally, I'm going with the funny storytellers.

They add their own two cents and perspectives on these stories that nobody else could provide. Not even those talking heads on the dumbest criminal shows. Am I the only one who remembers those? I feel like they were a staple on TruTV or VH1, but now all I can find on TruTV is Impractical Jokers, which is awesome but...you get it. Let's not delay! Here's the list!

Dave & Chuck the Freak talk about a man in Wisconsin who was arrested after lighting his own car on fire and being found naked, covered in liquid soap near a lakae. He is supposedly a licensed psychotherapist, works with 'magic mushrooms' and is "pretty much an expert in magic."

Dave & Chuck the Freak hear about a new Amazon vendor scam involving glue guns and head-lamps, or a potential windfall if you're James.

Dave & Chuck the Freak talk about a man in Dearborn, Michigan who exposed himself to someone at a Burlington Coat Factory. They are very confused when they learn about their hours and huge social media following. Then, they try to figure out what they even sell there.

Dave & Chuck the Freak talk about a man in Las Vegas, Nevada who stripped nude and danced on the gaming tables before he was restrained and arrested. Vegas, baby...

Dave & Chuck the Freak talk about a man in Illinois who accidentally shot himself in the leg whilst dreaming of burglars breaking into his house. Living the proverbial dream isn't always what it seems...

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