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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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To: moog

I hate to leave you dangling but I've got some business to attend to...so I guess we need to let this thread become water under the bridge...


81 posted on 03/08/2006 4:12:37 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: miele man

On the farm,the biggest joke was to have someone who didnt know any better pee on the electric fence.It never killed anybody,but they didnt do it again.


82 posted on 03/08/2006 4:13:11 PM PST by xarmydog
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To: SmithL

Yet:

California Court Overturns Sex Offender Registration for Oral Sex with a Minor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1591952/posts


83 posted on 03/08/2006 4:16:44 PM PST by quietolong
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To: moog

Seen on the bulletin board in a government office:

"Warning! Scientists have discovered that AIDS can be contracted through the ears - by listening to a$$holes. Use extreme caution around here!"


84 posted on 03/08/2006 4:18:55 PM PST by elcid1970
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To: SmithL

Well, I'll bet there were about 5,000 scofflaws on the 710 Freeway in Los Angeles this afternoon...


85 posted on 03/08/2006 4:20:16 PM PST by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: SouthernFreebird
Every public restroom I've come across is locked.

There was an article yesterday in the Palm Springs paper on just that subject...no mention made, however, about the obvious "why"...

The Desert Sun wouldn't dare mention the George Michael Effect, due to the high gay percentage there.

86 posted on 03/08/2006 4:23:32 PM PST by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: miele man

How about a big motion detector lite or maybe a sound operated laughing tape recorder......


87 posted on 03/08/2006 5:29:33 PM PST by GregB (Give Pottsville,Pa their NFL Championship back!!!!!!!!)
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To: rightwingcrazy

Only if they're peeing on a cross. The First Amendment even guarantees federal funding for that.


88 posted on 03/08/2006 5:34:23 PM PST by Gordongekko909 (I know. Let's cut his WHOLE BODY off.)
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To: moog; Americanexpat

"Well, you could park your car on a bridge and take a pee over the side then let us know. Lol

Just make sure the wind is blowing the right way."

And affirm the temperature and depth of the water at the same time.


89 posted on 03/08/2006 5:40:26 PM PST by bk1000 (A clear conscience is a sure sign of a poor memory)
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To: al baby

What can I say? Great minds think alike.


90 posted on 03/08/2006 6:25:59 PM PST by Vigilanteman (crime would drop like a sprung trapdoor if we brought back good old-fashioned hangings)
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To: SmithL

91 posted on 03/08/2006 7:21:48 PM PST by TFFKAMM
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To: SmithL

also arguably "injurious to health" and inarguably "offensive to the senses".

And even if just the cop was there, well the cop is a member of "the public" also.


92 posted on 03/08/2006 8:45:14 PM PST by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
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To: miele man

Just don't electrocute anybody, please!


93 posted on 03/08/2006 8:47:27 PM PST by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
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To: Names Ash Housewares; All

"the mother I saw letting her son whizz on the ground at the Walmart parking lot. ugh."

She wouldn't teach her daughter to do that, would she? Let's hope not anyway.

My funniest homeless peeing in public story: I was with my mom, on 6th Avenue in NYC, mid-day mid-week, people all around. There was a huge vacant lot there, it had been there forever (and may still be there), nice chain link fence and a big sign saying it was "the future site" of something or other. We see a guy standing up against the fence, with his back to the sidewalk. We are very puzzled. As we pass him we see he has his you-know-what through the links in the fence, whizzing away like he had some privacy.

We both giggled and ran like we were about 6 years old!



94 posted on 03/08/2006 8:52:40 PM PST by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
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To: jocon307; GregB; xarmydog; Kaylee Frye; al baby; HHFi; Vigilanteman; pec

Well, as I mentioned I put up the new mail box on the 8th at 4:30 PM. I went out to check my mail this evening and noticed the new box, while still on the post, had been mashed in at the front. I'll pay a visit to the post office on Monday.

Haven't caught anyone urinating in the yard so far this weekend.

I'll not electrocute anyone but I'm getting quite fed up with these spring breakers' behavior or lack thereof.


95 posted on 03/11/2006 7:34:06 PM PST by miele man
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