Another Fingergate Update: The Ocular Proof

The Boston Herald has the goods: a front-page photo of our gesturing justice, Antonin Scalia:

The picture was taken by freelance photographer (and photojournalism professor) Peter A. Smith, who also spoke with the Herald about the incident:

"It's inaccurate and deceptive of [Scalia] to say there was no vulgarity in the moment," said [Smith]. Despite Scalia's insistence that the Sicilian gesture was not offensive and had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald as obscene, the photographer said the newspaper "got the story right."

Smith said the jurist "immediately knew he'd made a mistake, and said, 'You're not going to print that, are you?'"

Additional details, after the jump.

Smith's account of the interaction differs somewhat from that of the Herald reporter who covered the story:

Smith was working as a freelance photographer for the Boston archdiocese's weekly newspaper at a special Mass for lawyers Sunday when a Herald reporter asked the justice how he responds to critics who might question his impartiality as a judge given his public worship.

"The judge paused for a second, then looked directly into my lens and said, 'To my critics, I say, 'Vaffanculo,'" punctuating the comment by flicking his right hand out from under his chin, Smith said.

The Italian phrase means "(expletive) you."

Yesterday, Herald reporter Laurel J. Sweet agreed with Smith's account, but said she did not hear Scalia utter the obscenity.

Whether or not Justice Scalia dropped the F-bomb in Italian, this is still pretty damn awesome. The federal judiciary is usually a pretty dry subject; but with Justice Scalia around, there's never a dull moment.

Keep on keeping on, Nino!

Photographer: Herald Got It Right [Boston Herald]

Earlier: An Update on Fingergate: Nino Is Still Cool
For the Record: Justice Scalia Is Less Cool Than We Thought
Guess Nino Didn't Give Up Cursing for Lent

READ MORE: Funny Pictures, Media, Personalities, SCOTUS, antonin scalia, boston herald, laurel sweet, non-obscene gestures, obscene gestures, peter smith, supreme court, top

An Update on Fingergate: Nino Is Still Cool

As we previously clarified in these pages, Justice Antonin Scalia did not give the finger to a Boston Herald reporter while standing inside a church. So we downgraded him a little on the scale of coolness and bad-ass-itude.

But now it's time for an upgrade. Nino just a saucy letter to the Boston Herald, clarifying that the Italian gesture he did make -- "fanning the fingers of my right hand under my chin" -- was not obscene. Here's the letter:

We love it when the subjects of news coverage mix it up with the media! Here are some choice quotes:

Your reporter, an up-and-coming 'gotcha' star named Laurel J. Sweet, asked me (o-so-sweetly) what I said to [my critics].

Catty characterizations of reporters -- fantastic! Puns based on their last names -- delicious! (Justice Scalia has employed this tactic before, most notably when he derided an article by Supreme Court reporter Tony Mauro as "Mauronic.")

Scalia's next move? He strikes a blow against anti-Italian-American bias (a la critics of "Scalito") -- and works in a swipe at HBO:

From watching too many episodes of the Sopranos, your staff seems to have acquired the belief that any Sicilian gesture is obscene - especially when made by an 'Italian jurist.' (I am, by the way, an American jurist.)

Ouch. Take that, Laurel!

This is great, great stuff. If you ever want to lash out at the blogosphere, Justice Scalia, you know where to reach us.

Scalia Seeks Justice Over Gesture [Boston Herald]

Earlier: For the Record: Justice Scalia Is Less Cool Than We Thought
Guess Nino Didn't Give Up Cursing for Lent

READ MORE: Media, Personalities, SCOTUS, antonin scalia, boston herald, non-obscene gestures, obscene gestures, supreme court, top