Link Yahoo! front page: Baggy pants ban "unconstitutional," rules US judge MIAMI (AFP) - A Florida judge has deemed unconstitutional a law banning baggy pants that show off the wearer's underwear, local media reported Tuesday. A 17-year-old spent a night in jail last week after police arrested him for wearing low pants in Riviera Beach, southeast Florida. The law banning so-called "saggy pants" was approved by city voters in March after supporters of the bill collected nearly 5,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot. The teen would have received a 150 dollars fine or community service, but he spent the night in jail due to a history of mar1juana use, the Palm Beach Post newspaper said. "Somebody help me," said Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle, before giving his decision. "We're not talking about exposure of buttocks. No! We're talking about someone who has on pants whose underwear are apparently visible to a police officer who then makes an arrest and the basis is he's then held overnight, no bond." "Your honor, we now have the fashion police," added public defender Carol Bickerstaff, who asked the law be declared "unconstitutional." The judge agreed with Bickerstaff immediately, reported the Post. Laws that ban low-slung pants are on the books in several US cities, including Delcambre, Louisiana, where offenders can be fined up to 500 dollars or jailed for up to six months. Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia are among the larger US cities considering similar measures. Pugs
paging RocketRiver... Dumb law, but seriously, pull your damn pants up... that goes for the cable guy too.
Unconstitutional, plain and simple. I never understood why it is even an argument among so many people.
This is great news. I always thought it was dumb. Arkansas State University's police give out citations to people wearing their pants in this fashion. I hope somebody eventually challenges it.
Wow, really? Out of all the things people should be worried about, this is one of them? Last time I checked, we still have our freedom. If people can't even wear pants that don't hug your testicles, what else will the government do? This isn't about sagging pants but baggy pants. Yes, there is a difference. You don't have to wear your pants on your ass for them to be baggy.
Being r****ded and fashion deficient shouldn't be a crime. We legislate how people live their lives too often as it is. But yeah, pull up your damn pants. Nobody wants to see your underwear or your faux gangster limp. And quit grabbing your crotch. If you need to make sure its still there you shouldn't be bringing attention to it in public.
Yeah, never mind I just read that part. Although I don't agree with saggy pants, which was made popular in prison for guys that "wanted it", its still a ridiculous law. Like others have said, its unconstitutional and that is all that needs to be said
As stupid as people look with their pants hanging down below their ass, this law is r****ded. It's nice to see the judge handle it the way he did.
this gives a whole new meaning to word "fashion police". hehe this is obviously has less to do with fashion then it does with targeting teen delinquents. it's using a stereotype and a shotgun approach. while unconstitutional, it's better than say... "arrest all teens that look like a thug".
More like has already done... * Boys wearing their hair too long.... * Girls or Ladies not wearing their skirts too short... * In some states, you have identify yourself with a driver's license or ID for walking on a public street, if you are stopped by police officer. Failure to not have personal IDs can result into an arrest. * Not mowing your lawn * In some states, you can only have certain number of women living in your house, because if there are more women than the number designated by the (local, county, or state) government...your house could be considered a brothel. * Oral and Anal sex is still illegal in like 10 states. * Not shooting or making objects to fly up into space (this one is kind of understandable, because commercial airplanes and innocent villains)...But does that mean airspace can be owned (not simply regulated), too, like property, maybe * To be a Fortune Teller .... you need a permit from the state, but it only applies in certain areas. * Not having encounters with, inviting or allowing alien trespassing...as you and the alien can be found guilty on state criminal charges or violations. Guess what else, I am not talking about an illegal alien in the sense of border trespassers, but the ones in the sky. Totally ridiculous. What the hell is a county or state cop going to do an alien? Read him his rights and arrest if he/she/it fails to comply to an officer's demand. Or even request to search his /her/its property, maybe a UFO or small space ship. I would like to see that one. (This is actually apart of US Federal Codes) * In Georgia, you still can't purchase alcohol on Sundays or buy anything from sex shop. * A 13 year old girl can be charged as sex offender and victim at the same time for having concensual sex with a twe.......nt...12 year old boy. http://www.currentargus.com/ci_4783650/ Let's be honest, for having so much power and influence, the government can be useless and...fu$kin stupid.
I don't think Texas is one of the states with "Stop and Identify Laws." Thing is I think it might be held up under other statutes in a court of law. Since, you can punished for a crime that is not directly expressed in a judicial code book. At the same time, the case could be thrown out all together, because of constitutional right to travel freely, and being impeded by the state who may not have had a probable cause to stop you.