Legal Ethics

Lawyer Asserts His Cop Taunts Are Protected by the First Amendment

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A Michigan criminal defense lawyer claims in a federal lawsuit that his police officer taunts are protected by the First Amendment.

Lawyer Timothy Barkovic of St. Clair Shores is seeking to halt a December disciplinary hearing, the Detroit News reports. He is accused of calling a police officer a “punk” and “dirty cop,” and telling another he hopes he gets “shot in a drug house in Detroit.”

“Lawyers with silver tongues, loose lips or potty mouths are practically a cliché,” the Detroit News says, “and the case begs the question of whether their profession can hold them to higher standards.”

The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled against Barkovic.

Prior coverage:

ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer Charged with Assault and Battery in Courthouse Cop Scuffle”

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