Florida Judge Rules Against Fashion Police
Says Local Law Banning Saggy Pants Is Unconstitutional
-
(AP Photo)
-
Interactive Crime Beat Statistics and specifics on crime in America.
Julius Hart, 17, was charged last week after an officer said he spotted the teenager riding his bicycle with 4 inches to 5 inches of blue-and-black boxer shorts revealed.
Hart's public defender, Carol Bickerstaff, urged a judge Monday to strike down the sagging pants law, telling him: "Your honor, we now have the fashion police."
Circuit Judge Paul Moyle ruled that the law was unconstitutional based on "the limited facts" of the case. Technically, however, the charge hasn't been dropped yet: a new arraignment awaits Hart on Oct. 5.
Voters in Riviera Beach approved the law in March. A first offense for sagging pants carries a $150 fine or community service, and habitual offenders face the possibility of jail time.
Proposals to ban saggy pants are gaining ground in several places around the U.S., and have met with opposition from civil liberties advocates who say they will lead to racial profiling against young African-Americans.
The fashion is believed to have started in prisons, where inmates are not given belts with their baggy uniform pants to prevent hangings and beatings. By the late 1980s, the trend had made it to gangster rap videos, then went on to skateboarders in the suburbs and high school hallways.
Bickerstaff said she wants the city to drop the law - regardless of whether anyone dislikes low-riding pants.
"The first time I saw this particular fashion, I disliked it," she told the judge. "And then I realized I'm getting old."
The issue in Riviera Beach illustrates a larger trend among U.S. cities that have outlawed the fashion trend.
For example, in Flint, Mich., a city with a similar law banning droopy drawers, Police Chief David Dicks said his officers will continue to arrest violators in spite of the Florida ruling. Dicks called the style of dress "disorderly" in an interview with The Detroit Free Press.
And the hubbub isn't isolated to suburban areas either. Last year, in Dallas, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway proposed that the city council send a message to young men in his city; Pull your pants up.
"This is not about the government trying to control how you dress," Mr. Caraway told The Dallas Morning News. "It’s to protect the rights of others who don’t want to see someone’s butt."
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."





- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 50 CommentsPosted by tootall10142 at 10:28 AM : Sep 20, 2008
You my friend are a ***, get over it and go change your depends, ohh and you might want to hit the CAPS LOCK
+ report abuse
'''' .. i saw a tiny nudist kid once walking down a city sidewalk, a full grown man with a badge and a gun told her to get dressed or he''''d have to do things to her, and she whispered something to him and they lived happily ever after, for about twenty minutes till she got bored with him .. ''''
---ok, stop talking about porn.
__________________________________
Posted by stick1771 at 06:53 PM : Sep 18, 2008
report abuse
Grow Up Morons. It''''s not nudity to show underwear. If a hottie jumps out of the car in a bikini at am/pm for a soda on the way to the pool bet your old self doesn''''t say any thing about that do you. We are talking about America and her freadoms. You know, the thing our men and women are over seas fighting for. I bet more than half of those boys over there wore thier pants that way before they left to boot camp. Now you clowns want to make it a crime. Next it will be hair color.
---it''s "freEdom" -not "freAdom". anyway, they''re not fighting for our freedoms over there. They''re fighting for something else; terrorists can take away lives but seriously, what can they do to abolish our freedom? they can''t completely take over our country - especially when they are located in terrorist cells throughout various countries...
If you want to be treated with respect, pull up your pants. If you don''t want to pull up your pants, go somewhere else.
I guess the owner of this store is exercising his freedom too.
Posted by downsteamjim
-----------------------------------------------------
Not even close to the same thing. A woman wearing bikini bottoms around town would probably get looked at funny but she would be well within her rights to do so and all they are is basically underware. So, what''s the difference if a guy wears pants showing his underware? I mean seriously, have you seen some of the runners shorts? They might as well be speedo''s and NO MAN should ever wear Speedo''s. Ever.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 50 Comments