[quote]A Winona man could go to jail for 90 days after he was cited Wednesday for violating an obscure 1887 city code prohibiting cursing in public.
Lucas Charles Wilcox, 19, was cited for swearing in public and being a public nuisance after he yelled vulgarities at police who earlier gave him a ticket for drinking at a party.
Winona's swearing law is seldom enforced - one assistant city attorney couldn't provide an example of it ever being prosecuted. And it could present a constitutional quandary because of the way it is written, says one legal scholar.
"There could well be some First Amendment issues with an ordinance that broad," said Steve Simon, a clinical professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.
The swearing law is one of Winona's oldest. Winona City Code 62.13 states, "No person shall, in the city, in any place of public resort or within the hearing of other persons, use any obscene language."
What the law considers obscene isn't specified. Police say Wilcox used several four-letter words.
Wilcox was leaving a house party in the 500 block of Harriet Street shortly after midnight when he was cited, Deputy Police Chief Tom Williams said. Wilcox walked down the street, cursing at officers who could hear him clearly from a block away. Several neighbors also heard the shouting.
Wilcox could not be reached Thursday for comment.
Many cities in Minnesota have obscene language laws, Simon said, though some have been struck down after they faced constitutional challenges. A law as broad as Winona's could apply to actors performing a play in a city park, he said.
Police normally issue disorderly conduct tickets in similar situations, Williams said, but officers use discretion to choose the most appropriate charge.
Violating Winona's obscenity law is a misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Assistant City Attorney Brian Glodosky commended police for so thoroughly knowing the city code but declined to speculate whether the charge would hold up in court.[/quote]
Wow, caught by a law over 100 years old. Talk about a bad day.
[url=http://winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_c851438e-9e7c-11de-9a59-001cc4c002e0.html]Source[/url]
[quote]
Lucas Charles Wilcox, 19, was cited for swearing in public and being a public nuisance after he yelled vulgarities at police who earlier gave him a ticket for drinking at a party.
[/quote]
That's not really a smart thing to do.
Well fuck, sucks for that guy.
Guess he kinda deserves it though.
Oh no 90 days that'll teach him.
well he shouldn't have been shouting them at cops
[QUOTE=CanibalMonke;17283086]Wow, caught by a law over 100 years old. Talk about a bad day.
[url=http://winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_c851438e-9e7c-11de-9a59-001cc4c002e0.html]Source[/url][/QUOTE]
90 days not years :downs:
[QUOTE=NotMeh;17283174]90 days not years :downs:[/QUOTE]
hurf durf, the law is over 100 years old :downs:
[QUOTE=NotMeh;17283174]90 days not years :downs:[/QUOTE]
rated book
i would have done the same if i was a cop and knew that ridicilous law
it would be hilarious to enforce
But he's 19, why can't he drink. Unless legal age there is 21
[QUOTE=johanz;17283319]But he's 19, why can't he drink. Unless legal age there is 21[/QUOTE]
It's 21 here in Winona. And all of Minnesota too, I believe.
[QUOTE=johanz;17283319]But he's 19, why can't he drink. Unless legal age there is 21[/QUOTE]
That would suck, america are so strict on booze.
Reminds me of wigu
[img]http://wigu.com/strips/20081003.png[/img]
[QUOTE=Latias;17283388]Reminds me of wigu
*Comic*[/QUOTE]
I actually found that sort of funny.
[QUOTE=CanibalMonke;17283495]I actually found that sort of funny.[/QUOTE]
I lol'd hard at that.
Reminds me of a episode of the Simpsons, forgot what it was called though.
A ticket for drinking at a party? LMAO LMAO
[QUOTE=pie_is_good;17283105]That's not really a smart thing to do.[/QUOTE]
There not really special people, you can call them idiots and they can't really get you there not gods there just people that get in trouble when they retort when you call them idiots.
[quote=insaneman]police who earlier gave him a ticket for drinking at a party.[/quote]
when ever did that get illegal? the whole case is based on A FALSE CHARGE! lol
"I blew up a hospital, what are you in here for?"
"I told some cops to eat shit"
Could you imagine a protest againts that law?
The picket signs would be hilarious.
"Give us our fucking right to curse back"
"Bitch-ass whore law is fucked up"
Etc...
[QUOTE=NotMeh;17283174]90 days not years :downs:[/QUOTE]
A Winona man could go to jail for 90 days after he was cited Wednesday for violating an obscure 1887 city code prohibiting cursing in public.
grow a brain dumbfuck
Take this case to the highest court of the land!
[QUOTE=NotMeh;17283174]90 days not years :downs:[/QUOTE]
You idiot.
Pretty sure they just used that law because he was swearing at police.
he swore at a fucking police man
90 days for cursing?! Bullshit law.
[quote=j-richardson;17286784]he swore at a fucking police man[/quote]
fuck!
Dumb law. Sure you shouldn't swear at cops. But the law says not to swear at all? Maybe it made sense at the time, but this is a time where hearing such language is pretty normal.
[editline]02:25PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Conn92;17283222]rated book[/QUOTE]
Book? I thought it was a locker.
[quote]What the law considers obscene isn't specified. Police say Wilcox used several four-letter words.[/quote]
DOOR! DOOR! Cars! Bend! CALL!
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