If u listen to the audio 1 of the guys was arrested for hitting a sherriffs officer some time before....The sherriff im sure recognized him and decided to see if he wanted a rematch.
A lot of places are passing these baggy pants laws and you can see that as soon as the guy sees the cop he pulls his shirt down . So he knows well he shouldnt be doing it.
So the cop had a right to stop him and if he wanted to tempt the guy to swing on him i dont really see a prob with that either. You can plainly hear the guy say he beat the rap on the officer assult charge. So its clear the officer was looking for an opportunity to square up with these guys and probably would have gotten it...But he jumped the gun a lil to soon..........and should be disciplined . If they decided firing was correct then thats that.
Patterson 2 Cops 0 ...but i have a feeling its only halftime.
A lot of places are passing these baggy pants laws and you can see that as soon as the guy sees the cop he pulls his shirt down . So he knows well he shouldnt be doing it.
So the cop had a right to stop him and if he wanted to tempt the guy to swing on him i dont really see a prob with that either. You can plainly hear the guy say he beat the rap on the officer assult charge. So its clear the officer was looking for an opportunity to square up with these guys and probably would have gotten it...But he jumped the gun a lil to soon..........and should be disciplined . If they decided firing was correct then thats that.
Patterson 2 Cops 0 ...but i have a feeling its only halftime.
1) In the few jurisdictions which have passed such laws, they have been quickly overturned on constitutional grounds when properly challenged. Displaying undergarments is no more criminal than displaying swim trunks or other scanty attire.
2) The cop was absolutely wrong to commit a physical assault on a civilian. Don't even spend two seconds attempting to justify criminal assault.
3) I come from a cop family (father 40 years in the Job) and I work today with cops from all over the country. The job certainly has its difficult components, but none justify the commission of assault upon a civilian without cause.
Back on topic
RELATED coverage of a court ruling out of Palm Beach FL this past Monday
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/15/0912saggy.html
Judge: Riviera Beach 'saggy pants' ban unconstitutional
By ELIOT KLEINBERG
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 15, 2008
RIVIERA BEACH — A judge says Riviera Beach's "saggy pants" law is unconstitutional in the case of a 17-year-old who spent a night in jail for having his underwear showing.
And a public defender said her office wants to get the law tossed altogether.
Julius Hart was charged Wednesday when an officer spotted him riding his bicycle in the 2800 block of Lakeshore Drive with 4 to 5 inches of blue and black boxer shorts sticking out of his black pants.
A first offense carries a $150 fine or a requirement of community service; only habitual offenders face the possibility of jail time.
But, a report said, the charge against Hart meant a violation of his probation on a marijuana possession charge, so he went to jail.
"Somebody help me," Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle said.
"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. No bond!" the judge exclaimed.
"Your honor, we now have the fashion police," public defender Carol Bickerstaff said. "Our office really does intend to appeal this ordinance, which we believe is totally unconstitutional."
Moyle ruled the law unconstitutional "based on the limited facts of this case." Instead of issuing bail, the judge released Hart on his own recognizance.
Asked how this will affect the law overall, Riviera Beach's city attorney deferred to the police legal counsel and the mayor, Bishop Thomas Masters.
Masters referred calls to city spokeswoman Rose Anne Brown, who said the city hadn't yet seen the ruling and couldn't comment.
Technically, the charge is not yet dropped; a new arraignment is set for Oct. 5.
"The first time I saw this particular fashion, I disliked it, and then I realized I'm getting old," Bickerstaff told the judge.
"You can have Speedo underwear, which is way less than boxer shorts, and that is perfectly legal, but boxer shorts, with pants over them, is not?" Moyle asked.
Bickerstaff quipped, "It's like a Monty Python skit."
City voters had approved the law in March by a 72 percent tally, after Masters lobbied heavily for it, helping collect 4,769 signatures to put the measure on the ballot.
The saggy pants fad surfaced in jail, when juvenile offenders wore overly large prison garb that sagged, exposing their underwear. It later became a fashion statement among rappers and remains popular in urban communities across the country.
RELATED coverage of a court ruling out of Palm Beach FL this past Monday
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/15/0912saggy.html
Judge: Riviera Beach 'saggy pants' ban unconstitutional
By ELIOT KLEINBERG
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 15, 2008
RIVIERA BEACH — A judge says Riviera Beach's "saggy pants" law is unconstitutional in the case of a 17-year-old who spent a night in jail for having his underwear showing.
And a public defender said her office wants to get the law tossed altogether.
Julius Hart was charged Wednesday when an officer spotted him riding his bicycle in the 2800 block of Lakeshore Drive with 4 to 5 inches of blue and black boxer shorts sticking out of his black pants.
A first offense carries a $150 fine or a requirement of community service; only habitual offenders face the possibility of jail time.
But, a report said, the charge against Hart meant a violation of his probation on a marijuana possession charge, so he went to jail.
"Somebody help me," Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle said.
"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. No bond!" the judge exclaimed.
"Your honor, we now have the fashion police," public defender Carol Bickerstaff said. "Our office really does intend to appeal this ordinance, which we believe is totally unconstitutional."
Moyle ruled the law unconstitutional "based on the limited facts of this case." Instead of issuing bail, the judge released Hart on his own recognizance.
Asked how this will affect the law overall, Riviera Beach's city attorney deferred to the police legal counsel and the mayor, Bishop Thomas Masters.
Masters referred calls to city spokeswoman Rose Anne Brown, who said the city hadn't yet seen the ruling and couldn't comment.
Technically, the charge is not yet dropped; a new arraignment is set for Oct. 5.
"The first time I saw this particular fashion, I disliked it, and then I realized I'm getting old," Bickerstaff told the judge.
"You can have Speedo underwear, which is way less than boxer shorts, and that is perfectly legal, but boxer shorts, with pants over them, is not?" Moyle asked.
Bickerstaff quipped, "It's like a Monty Python skit."
City voters had approved the law in March by a 72 percent tally, after Masters lobbied heavily for it, helping collect 4,769 signatures to put the measure on the ballot.
The saggy pants fad surfaced in jail, when juvenile offenders wore overly large prison garb that sagged, exposing their underwear. It later became a fashion statement among rappers and remains popular in urban communities across the country.
There are no laws of which I'm aware that would criminalize the wearing of boxer shorts in public, presuming any flaps or openings were secure to prevent (GASP!) a pecker from being seen by Innocent Little Children (or nervous old spinsters)
Nor would there be any crime in wearing a "bra" as a woman's only top.
For crying out loud, walk around the beaches and communities here in Florida pretty much year round they are females of all ages down to young teens who wear swimsuit style bra tops and/or tanktops that are cut tiny and within a few inches of pretty much same coverage as most bras.
