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Judge: Florida woman didn't break law by exposing breasts
The Miami Herald ^
| December 15, 2006
| AP
Posted on 12/15/2006 5:24:52 AM PST by King of Florida
DAYTONA BEACH - (AP) -- A woman did not break the law when she exposed her breasts to protest laws that bar women from publicly going bare breasted, a judge has ruled.
County Judge David B. Beck said Thursday that Elizabeth Book, 44, of Ormond Beach, did not violate disorderly conduct laws.
Book was arrested by Daytona Beach police July 2, 2005, for disrobing in public.
Her attorney, Lawrence G. Walters, said the city is trying to censor his client.
''I've never seen another city or case where the city has shown so much time and effort to shut down one person's First Amendment right of protected speech,'' Walters said. 'They just can't seem to let it go. They need to stop wasting taxpayers' money.''
Beck and the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled in favor of Book for a similar incident. She was first arrested for bearing her chest during Bike Week in March 2004.
Deputy City Attorney Marie Hartman said an appeal has been filed for a local court of appeal to reconsider the most recent case.
''We have no problems with her holding up signs, to hold public forums to protest nudity laws, but that does not include the right to go nude,'' Hartman said. ``Any more than you can stand on a podium and snort cocaine to protest cocaine laws.''
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: firstamendment; freespeech
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I will keep all FReepers posted on the progress of this extremely important First Amendment case. Unless of course the woman turns out to be a Helen Thomas or Ruth Bader Ginsburg lookalike.
To: King of Florida
TTIUWP
HF
2
posted on
12/15/2006 5:26:29 AM PST
by
holden
To: King of Florida
She was first arrested for bearing her chest during Bike Week in March 2004. And what college did this stellar reporter graduate from?
One would think the editor at the Herald would catch these errors at the very least.
3
posted on
12/15/2006 5:27:05 AM PST
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(This is my tagline. There are many like it but this one is mine.)
To: King of Florida
I will keep all FReepers posted on the progress of this extremely important First Amendment case. Unless of course the woman turns out to be a Helen Thomas or Ruth Bader Ginsburg lookalike.My first thought was "pictures"?
4
posted on
12/15/2006 5:27:45 AM PST
by
joesbucks
To: King of Florida
Yes. Please keep us abreast...
5
posted on
12/15/2006 5:29:32 AM PST
by
duckman
(I refuse to use a tag line...I mean it.)
To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Maybe they thought she was also a pirate carrying a treasure chest.
6
posted on
12/15/2006 5:29:44 AM PST
by
King of Florida
(A little government and a little luck are necessary in life, but only a fool trusts either of them.)
To: King of Florida
ounty Judge David B. Beck said Thursday that Elizabeth Book, 44, of Ormond Beach, did not violate disorderly conduct laws.Sorry, but I'll be the judge as to whether or not it was a "crime" for her to expose her breasts.
7
posted on
12/15/2006 5:30:40 AM PST
by
Caipirabob
(Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
To: King of Florida
"I've never seen another city or case where the city has shown so much time and effort to shut down one person's First Amendment right of protected speech,"...
Her breasts talk?!
8
posted on
12/15/2006 5:30:42 AM PST
by
Hatteras
To: King of Florida
This ought to be interesting.
9
posted on
12/15/2006 5:32:17 AM PST
by
darkwing104
(Let's get dangerous)
To: King of Florida
She's 44? I think my mother is younger than that.
To: King of Florida
''We have no problems with her holding up signs, to hold public forums to protest nudity laws, but that does not include the right to go nude,'' Hartman said. ``Any more than you can stand on a podium and snort cocaine to protest cocaine laws.''
First off, she was not nude. She flashed her breasts at the minimum or was topless at the most (kind of hard to tell from the story). Topless is not the same as nude.
Second, there is no law that says that men can snort cocaine and women can't. This is about equal protection under the laws, regardless of what we think of women being topless in public. This is no different than the Selective Service, which is also a sexist law.
11
posted on
12/15/2006 5:32:24 AM PST
by
looscnnn
("Olestra (Olean) applications causes memory leaks" PC Confusious)
To: King of Florida
County Judge David B. Beck said Thursday that Elizabeth Book, 44, of Ormond Beach, did not violate disorderly conduct laws. I have to disagree.
Now if she was 22 I'd feel differently ;)
12
posted on
12/15/2006 5:32:27 AM PST
by
NeoCaveman
(Where is my Reagan, Don't say it's John McCain. Where have all the conservatives gone? - P.Shanklin)
To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Agreed, what alternative to bearing her chest did she have? Mastectomy?
13
posted on
12/15/2006 5:32:29 AM PST
by
sgtyork
(Prove to us that you can enforce the borders first)
To: King of Florida
OK, rules are rules.....
14
posted on
12/15/2006 5:32:33 AM PST
by
jsh3180
To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Well, she did bear her chest, I suppose. Unless she had someone else carry it.
15
posted on
12/15/2006 5:33:43 AM PST
by
Izzy Dunne
(Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
To: King of Florida
To: King of Florida
To: Bloody Sam Roberts
bearing her chest Well, if we can bear arms, why not chests?
To: King of Florida
This should be illegal:
To: King of Florida
20
posted on
12/15/2006 5:40:24 AM PST
by
PeaceBeWithYou
(De Oppresso Liber! (50 million and counting in Afganistan and Iraq))
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