▁ ▁In ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁N ieves ▁v . ▁Bart lett , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁probable ▁cause ▁to ▁make ▁an ▁arrest ▁could ▁generally ▁defeat ▁a ▁ret ali atory ▁arrest ▁claim . ▁However , ▁it ▁made ▁an ▁exception ▁" for ▁circumstances ▁where ▁officers ▁have ▁probable ▁cause ▁to ▁make ▁arr ests , ▁but ▁typically ▁exercise ▁their ▁dis cret ion ▁not ▁to ▁do ▁so ." ▁The ▁majority ▁opinion ▁held ▁that ▁a ▁pla int iff ▁may ▁still ▁prev ail ▁on ▁a ▁ret ali atory ▁arrest ▁claim ▁" when ▁a ▁pla int iff ▁presents ▁objective ▁evidence ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁arrested ▁when ▁otherwise ▁similarly ▁situated ▁individuals ▁not ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁sort ▁of ▁protected ▁speech ▁had ▁not ▁been ." ▁ ▁Ra cial ▁aspects ▁The ▁Seattle ▁Post - Int ell igen cer ▁conducted ▁a ▁study ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁that ▁found ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Seattle , ▁" A fr ican - Amer icans ▁were ▁arrested ▁for ▁the ▁sole ▁crime ▁of ▁ob struct ing ▁eight ▁times ▁as ▁often ▁as ▁whites ▁when ▁population ▁is ▁taken ▁into ▁account ." ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Att orney ▁General ▁also ▁found ▁a ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁cont empt ▁of ▁cop ▁cases ▁while ▁investig ating ▁ra cial ▁profil ing ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁State ▁Police , ▁and ▁concluded ▁that ▁" im pro per ▁attitude ▁and ▁de mean or " ▁of ▁officers ▁toward ▁the ▁public ▁was ▁a ▁nation wide ▁problem . ▁ ▁Term in ology ▁Cont empt ▁of ▁cop ▁has ▁been