Patton's gestures not enough for restraining order

By DAMON LAWRENCE

rclawrence@bellsouth.net

While distasteful and crude, using your middle finger to make an obscene gesture is a protected form of expression under the U.S. Constitution.

That was the finding of Chancellor Frank Williams in the county’s request for a restraining order against former constable Mark Patton.

During a hearing Friday morning in Chancery Court, Roane County Attorney Tom McFarland called numerous witnesses who testified they had been “flipped off” by Patton.

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