▁cop . ▁Cont empt ▁of ▁cop ▁situations ▁may ▁be ▁ex ac erb ated ▁if ▁other ▁officers ▁witness ▁the ▁alleg edly ▁cont empt uous ▁behavior . ▁ ▁Ch arg es ▁such ▁as ▁dis order ly ▁conduct , ▁resist ing ▁arrest , ▁fle eing ▁from ▁police ▁and ▁assault ing ▁an ▁officer ▁may ▁be ▁c ited ▁as ▁official ▁reasons ▁in ▁a ▁cont empt ▁of ▁cop ▁arrest . ▁Ob struct ing ▁a ▁police ▁officer ▁or ▁failure ▁to ▁obey ▁a ▁police ▁order ▁is ▁also ▁c ited ▁in ▁arr ests ▁in ▁some ▁juris dict ions , ▁particularly ▁as ▁a ▁stand - alone ▁charge ▁without ▁any ▁other ▁charges ▁brought . ▁ ▁Leg ality ▁Fre edom ▁of ▁speech ▁is ▁protected ▁under ▁the ▁First ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution , ▁so ▁non - th re aten ing ▁ver bal ▁" ab use " ▁of ▁a ▁police ▁officer ▁is ▁not ▁in ▁itself ▁criminal ▁behavior , ▁though ▁some ▁courts ▁have ▁disag re ed ▁on ▁what ▁constit utes ▁protected ▁speech ▁in ▁this ▁regard . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ruled ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁that ▁fighting ▁words ▁that ▁" t end ▁to ▁in cite ▁an ▁immediate ▁bre ach ▁of ▁the ▁peace " ▁are ▁not ▁protected ▁speech , ▁but ▁later ▁cases ▁have ▁interpreted ▁this ▁narrow ly , ▁especially ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁officers . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁a ▁federal ▁appe als ▁court ▁ruled ▁that ▁giving ▁the ▁finger ▁" alone ▁cannot ▁establish ▁probable ▁cause ▁to ▁believe ▁a ▁dis order ly ▁conduct ▁viol ation ▁has ▁occurred ".