File this in the “Really?” category.
I realize that there are some odd laws on the books. Like some really dumb ones.
Here are a few from my state of New York, from Dumb Laws.
Women may go topless in public, providing it is not being used as a business.
- It is illegal for a woman to be on the street wearing “body hugging clothing”.
- Citizens may not greet each other by “putting one’s thumb to the nose and wiggling the fingers”.
- A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting.
- A person may not walk around on Sundays with an ice cream cone in his/her pocket.
Seriously?
Let’s go to Pennsylvania.
- It it illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.
- Any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue.
- A special cleaning ordinance bans housewives from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
- You may not sing in the bathtub.
- A person is not eligible to become Governor if he/she has participated in a duel.
- You may not catch a fish with your hands.
- You may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth.
- Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish.
And sticking with the theme of states that touch New York, how about a few from New Jersey?
- It is illegal to wear a bullet-proof vest while committing a murder.
- It is against the law for a man to knit during the fishing season.
- It is against the law to “frown” at a police officer.
If those aren’t enough, how about this local law from Bernards Township?
- It is illegal to frown as the town is a “Frown-Free Town Zone”.
Sheesh!
But the video I am going to post below really caught my attention. This is real. Someone is facing up to 75 years in prison for a level one felony for recording police without their consent. Seriously, this person is facing the same sort of a felony a murderer or rapist would be facing.
Seriously.
And it appears the law, which is some sort of an old eavesdropping law, is in something like 12 states. So if you witness a cop beating someone and record it, you could face jail time.
As someone who believes in our constitution, this is absolutely ridiculous. And that they are pulling this guy through the systems over this is amazingly stupid. This is what taxpayers are footing the bill for in Illinois? For the state to prosecute someone who recorded cops coming onto his property over something about cars in his driveway? Really?
The video is about 15 minutes long, but I implore you to watch it. To think that someone could be put in prison with real criminals over something like this is mind-boggling. I hope, in the end, it works out for this person. And I hope, too, that when these state prosecutors come up for re-election, the people vote them out of office. Quickly.
There are links, too, to some radio interviews with the guy being charged. They are worth watching, too.
Thoughts? Drop them in the comments below.