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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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To: King of Florida

I am assuming this lady is hot... LOL!


41 posted on 12/15/2006 6:18:08 AM PST by WV Mountain Mama (Our gingerbread house may not look the greatest, but my kids and I had the greatest time making it!)
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To: Hatteras
"Her breasts talk?!"

Didn't you hear that Apple Computer just introduced microchips to be implanted in womens breasts that can speak? That way women can't complain that men just look at their breasts and don't listen to them. (^;
42 posted on 12/15/2006 6:19:38 AM PST by Clay Moore ("My daddy says I'm this close to living in the yard." Ralph Wiggum)
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To: 2harddrive

Not necessarily a good thing.


43 posted on 12/15/2006 6:20:56 AM PST by Fierce Allegiance (SAY NO TO RUDY!)
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To: King of Florida
There wouldn't be a problem if it were an "accident". Happens to the stars all the time...


44 posted on 12/15/2006 6:21:14 AM PST by StoneGiant (Power without morality is disaster. Morality without power is useless.)
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To: King of Florida

"the women who are most inclined to bare their breasts in public are always the fugliest ones."

Ha-ha! That's true.


45 posted on 12/15/2006 6:22:00 AM PST by Old Grumpy
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To: King of Florida

Well from the pictures..... its a flapjack convention.


46 posted on 12/15/2006 6:22:25 AM PST by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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To: NCLaw441
All anyone has to do if stopped for baring one's breasts is to announce that it is being done as a protest.

Yes...except that she would have to use it as a defense at trial, after having been arrested and charged. Practically speaking, this would mean that the police can still arrest women for being topless. If the law is still in place, then it may still be enforced.

47 posted on 12/15/2006 6:24:13 AM PST by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: NCLaw441

"but the consequences are potentially being charged with a violation of the law."

Which then allows you to challenge the law, you can't challenge unless you are charged.

"It is against the law to touch a woman's breasts when such a touching is not welcome. I wonder how far I would get with the argument that I was merely protesting that law by fondling women's breasts on the street?"

You could do that and then challenge the law stating that women are not precluded from touching men's breasts when such touching is not welcome. Don't know how well that would go though due to it being a man claiming that. Just like for a long time that spousal abuse did not protect men, because men were supposed to be the ones doing it not women. Same for the laws again pedofiles, it targeted men because women "didn't do that".


48 posted on 12/15/2006 6:24:19 AM PST by looscnnn ("Olestra (Olean) applications causes memory leaks" PC Confusious)
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To: BenLurkin

Thanks, that was better than the real ones.


49 posted on 12/15/2006 6:31:09 AM PST by driftdiver
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To: King of Florida

I must say, this is a very "tedious" situation....


50 posted on 12/15/2006 6:34:13 AM PST by azhenfud (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: King of Florida

Elizabeth Book, 44

================

I'm calling BS. Those are no where near 44's.

Also, of all the laws she may or may not have broken, she is unfortunately obeying the law of gravity.

51 posted on 12/15/2006 6:35:47 AM PST by Manic_Episode (Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps...)
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To: Manic_Episode

I'm calling BS. Those are no where near 44's.
------

44 Longs maybe?


52 posted on 12/15/2006 6:37:10 AM PST by freedomlover (Sorry, a tagline occurred. The tagline has been logged.)
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To: 2harddrive

Where did you here THAT? :)


53 posted on 12/15/2006 6:39:40 AM PST by TexConfederate1861 ("Having a picture of John Wayne doesn't make you a Texan :) ")
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To: King of Florida
OK everybody I am going to post two naked breasts below, so be forwarned


























54 posted on 12/15/2006 6:41:32 AM PST by freedomlover (Sorry, a tagline occurred. The tagline has been logged.)
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To: King of Florida

The right to bear bare breasts?

Doesn't that fall somewhere between the 1st and 2nd amendments?


55 posted on 12/15/2006 6:43:49 AM PST by sergeantdave (Consider that nearly half the people you pass on the street meet Lenin's definition of useful idiot)
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To: King of Florida

Expose yourself to art

http://www.photographicimage.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=620&step=4

Actually, the picture is that of former mayor of Portland Bud Clark


56 posted on 12/15/2006 6:45:29 AM PST by PurpleMan
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To: driftdiver
pictures?


57 posted on 12/15/2006 6:54:17 AM PST by period end of story (This tagline hasn't been banned or suspended.)
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To: Hatteras
"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?!

Yeah --- and her vagina monologues.

58 posted on 12/15/2006 7:02:30 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

**One would think the editor at the Herald would catch these errors at the very least.**


The number of grammatical errors in newspaper articles should be an embarassment to these folks, but I think it is a pretty good indicator of the education level of many journalists.

Where I went to school, journalism students ranked right up there with education majors in terms of functioning gray matter.


59 posted on 12/15/2006 7:12:09 AM PST by EEDUDE
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To: ConsistentLibertarian

She's 44? I think my mother is younger than that.
___________

Man, do you youngsters pi$$ me off. Just kidding. I work in a company that is 80% female. Let me tell, young man, there are plenty of 44 year old women out there that I would not mind seeing as the woman being discussed here has been seen. My wife would prefer I not, though.


60 posted on 12/15/2006 7:13:38 AM PST by dmz
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