City of Chicago v. Blakemore

After a bench trial, defendant was found guilty of breaching the peace under section 193 — 1 of the Municipal Code of Chicago and fined $25. On appeal defendant contends he should not have been found guilty solely because of the use of coarse or insolent language to a police officer and, further, that the City did not meet its burden of proving that his conduct created an imminent threat of violence, within the meaning of the ordinance.

On August 9, 1971, defendant, while taking his passenger to the hospital, drove his car in the wrong direction on a one-way street. He was stopped by an…