Guilty for smoking
The first trial challenging El Paso's no-smoking ordinance has ended quickly. 

Ping and Puff

The restaurants in Juarez must be loving this!! Whose brilliant idea was it, anyway? La Florida here I come.

In a similar vein, Tempe Arizona passed a smoking ban and now many restaurants are failing as patrons desert them for neighboring Phoenix and Mesa.

Their proposed solution? Spread the smoking ban across the entire metropolitan area, because their law isn't "fair"!

So, just because the anal folks of Tempe are suffering from their own self imposed restrictions they think everyone should join them in their misery..!

The first trial challenging El Paso's no-smoking ordinance has ended quickly.

This didn't challenge the no-smoking ordinance.
This challenged the word of an LEO.
The citizen says he wasn't smoking, the LEO says he was, the jury went with the LEO.
It didn't challenge the ordinance at all.

For jurors, regardless of their personal feelings about smoking, this was an open and shut case.

The jurors could have, I suppose, told the judge that they found him not guilty because of a bad ordinance.
But then the LEO might have seen them smoking too. Or they might have seen the LEO smoking.;^)

I always enjoyed it when the Atlanta airport had those 'ashtray traps' down in the tunnels by the trains.

The little man in the orange blazer would jump out from behind the potted plants and threaten to call over the APD officers who were down the hall drinking coffee, paying no attention whatever to the little man's frenzied gesticulations.

I haven't been to Atlanta recently. Are they still doing this?

I would LOVE to have been there and applauded was the cop led the guy out in handcuffs!

I know of no more rude, self-centered, totally useless people as the smokers who ignore the rules, and light up anyway.

They deserve about 90 days in the slammer for the infraction, to boot. Let 'em bum their smokes off "Little Nicky" in return for amorous favors!

Taliban bump!

"Boy ! I'LL bet you get tipped over every holloween, How about a courtesy flush?"

Bwahahahaha!

They're b-a-c-k, those strange little fanatics.

So, just because the anal folks of Tempe are suffering from their own self imposed restrictions they think everyone should join them in their misery..!

I say, Tempe got what it wanted, now learn to live with it........ OR REPEAL.

Fred Gardea, Jury Foreman, said, "It was short, we didn't deliberate much. We just figured he was guilty, and that's it."

They just "figured he was guilty? That's it?" Goodness, remind me never to have to go to court.

This brings on new meaning to the scene in Basic Instincts -- "Are you going to arrest me for smoking?" "Er, um, well yes."

Only a total fool such as you would think that this is a good use of police resources.

As a taxpayer, I would be outraged that moral midgits like you had any say whatsoever about the law, and further, if I was the judge and this assembly of idiots took a mere six minutes to return a verdict, I'd throw it out in a heartbeat. Every good judge knows that a jury too stupid to linger at least long enough to get the free lunch, isn't doing it's job.

This will be overturned on appeal, just on that six minute "deliberation".

I would be outraged that moral midgits like you had any say whatsoever about the law,...

The "moral midgets" are the smokers who think they own the atmosphere.

Smokers are THE SINGLE MOST rude, self-centered people on the face of this planet.

Smokers are THE SINGLE MOST rude, self-centered people on the face of this planet.

Here, let me reinforce your prejudice.
You are the biggest horses patootie on this subject that I have ever heard speak, post, or squeek.
It seems you have no knowledge of the science, or junk science, behind the, so called, threat of ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke). Yet you continue to berate people that you don't know, probably don't WANT to know, simply because they smoke tobacco.
On this subject it seems you are ignorant and have no desire to allay your ignorance. All you do is scream, "I don't like the smell and smokers are rude because they want to smoke."

So be it. Call me rude, I would like to be able to partake of a legal substance in a business whose owner allows it. I would like government, ALL GOVERNMENT, to keep their noses out of where their noses don't belong.

Damn right!

We oughta stomp on their heads for mere possession of tobacco. Wasn't it you that stated that we need to crack a few skulls to get the message through?

I heard that there is a group of people living in a remote area practicing non-conventional religious beliefs who may not be locking up their cigs in a manner to prevent minors from getting them. Call the FBI, the ATF, the military.

La Florida here I come.

The anti-smoking nazis are about to enact a ban on smoking in ALL indoor workplaces.

It's on the ballot here, and there is a good chance it will pass next week.