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There is no 'pee' in public -- State appeals court rules act is illegal
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/8/6 | Bob Egelko

Posted on 03/08/2006 3:07:42 PM PST by SmithL

SAN FRANCISCO -- It's a crime in California to urinate in a public place, a state appeals court ruled today.

The case before the court came from Berkeley, where a police officer detained a man urinating in the parking lot of a closed restaurant one Sunday morning in January 2003. The officer searched David McDonald and found drugs.

McDonald was charged with narcotics possession. But if he hadn't been committing a crime in the first place -- urinating in the open -- the search would have been illegal and the found drugs couldn't be used against him.

To deal with the question, a Court of Appeal panel in San Francisco turned to a 19th century state law that defines a public nuisance as an act that is "injurious to health, or is indecent, or offensive to the senses.''

The act must also interfere with "the comfortable enjoyment of life or property'' by a community, or a neighborhood, or "any considerable number of persons.''

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: pee; ublic; urine
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1 posted on 03/08/2006 3:07:47 PM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

um...how can they do this ? doesn't this take away the bathrooms for the homeless ?


2 posted on 03/08/2006 3:08:50 PM PST by stylin19a (Do you still have sex or are you already playing golf?)
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To: SmithL

what about a pubic restroom ?


3 posted on 03/08/2006 3:09:20 PM PST by al baby (Father of the Beeber)
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To: al baby

ops Public restroom?


4 posted on 03/08/2006 3:09:53 PM PST by al baby (Father of the Beeber)
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To: al baby

No need to correct your first post. It be funnier that way.


5 posted on 03/08/2006 3:11:45 PM PST by dynachrome ("Where am I? Where am I going? Why am I in a handbasket?")
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To: al baby

Do they let the homeless in to use a public restroom?


6 posted on 03/08/2006 3:12:16 PM PST by tioga (Speaking out from the god-foresaken frozen tundra of the land of the hildebeast.)
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To: al baby

Uh, that's "oops". (Heh, heh)

Maybe the homeless should do like Don Imus and do their business in phone booths.


7 posted on 03/08/2006 3:12:53 PM PST by elcid1970
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To: al baby
"what about a pubic restroom ?"

Have you seen the public restrooms in Berkeley? I think I would rather pee outside too.
8 posted on 03/08/2006 3:13:10 PM PST by ndt
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To: SmithL

Dogs are allowed to. Why not people.


9 posted on 03/08/2006 3:15:38 PM PST by SteveMcKing
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It's like a swimming ool. (the p is silent)


10 posted on 03/08/2006 3:15:40 PM PST by SmithL (Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.)
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To: SmithL

Is this why all the bridges have signs with a big "P" and a circle around it with a line through it? ;-p


11 posted on 03/08/2006 3:16:00 PM PST by Theresawithanh (Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.)
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To: SmithL
To deal with the question, a Court of Appeal panel in San Francisco turned to a 19th century state law that defines a public nuisance as an act that is "injurious to health, or is indecent, or offensive to the senses."

Wow! looks like the whole city of SF is in violation of it's own law.
12 posted on 03/08/2006 3:18:34 PM PST by HEY4QDEMS (No animals were harmed during the creation of this post.)
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To: SmithL

I personally killed a bush near the local grocery store on my all too frequent (at the time) walks back from the nearby saloon.


13 posted on 03/08/2006 3:18:51 PM PST by dynachrome ("Where am I? Where am I going? Why am I in a handbasket?")
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To: stylin19a

This really pisses me off.


14 posted on 03/08/2006 3:19:02 PM PST by moog
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To: al baby


Every public restroom I've come across is locked. Time to change our National Anthemn, we are no longer land of the free.


15 posted on 03/08/2006 3:19:48 PM PST by SouthernFreebird
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To: al baby

Uh-oh, you're getting pubicity over this comment:)


16 posted on 03/08/2006 3:19:59 PM PST by moog
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To: dynachrome

I personally killed a bush near the local grocery store on my all too frequent (at the time) walks back from the nearby saloon.

You're just another bush hater:)


17 posted on 03/08/2006 3:20:50 PM PST by moog
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: SmithL

"It's a crime in California to urinate in a public place, a state appeals court ruled today."

What a stupid law. Piss on it. /sarcasm


19 posted on 03/08/2006 3:21:24 PM PST by jdm
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To: SteveMcKing

Dogs are allowed to. Why not people.

Let the third graders try it on the playground during math--multiply and replenish the Earth.


20 posted on 03/08/2006 3:22:00 PM PST by moog
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