Felony in North Carolina: Exposed Female Nipples

[3113]

Full story here.

...Republican legislators in North Carolina have identified the the "clear and present danger" that women pose to our great democracy: Their Bare Nipples! On Wednesday, the state House Judiciary Committee C approved House Bill 34, which makes it a Class H felony to purposefully expose “private parts” for the “purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.” The bill expands the state’s definition of “private parts” to include a woman’s “nipple, or any portion of the areola.”

That Class H means a woman can get up to 6 months in jail for exposing said nipples in public for "the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire." To be on the safe side....

...Committee Chairwoman Rep. Sarah Steven (R) suggested that women could use pasties or nipple coverings... “They’d be good to go” with nipple coverings, Stevens said.

“You know what they say, duct tape fixes everything,” Republican state Rep. Tim Moore agreed.

[steve44uk]

Originally Posted by 3113

Full story here.

That Class H means a woman can get up to 6 months in jail for exposing said nipples in public for "the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire." To be on the safe side....

God bless the US of A...

[TxRad]

Originally Posted by steve44uk

God bless the US of A...

If you've never been to North Carolina, skip it on you next tour. Ya won't miss a thing.

[Tio_Narratore]

Well, there goes my traditional July week in Rodanthe!

By the way, our courts in Ontario found that banning toplessness for women was sexual discrimination, since men could go shirtless. Nipples are legal in public, no matter what their purpose, in staid Ontario.

[steve44uk]

Originally Posted by TxRad

If you've never been to North Carolina, skip it on you next tour. Ya won't miss a thing.

Aww, see, being a James Taylor fan, I was planning to take in the Carolinas. But now nipples are off the menu...

[3113]

Originally Posted by Tio_Narratore

By the way, our courts in Ontario found that banning toplessness for women was sexual discrimination, since men could go shirtless. Nipples are legal in public, no matter what their purpose, in staid Ontario.

Yeah, but most of the time it's too cold in Ontario to go topless...

[soflabbwlvr]

The important part of this law is the phrase "for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire." What this means is that strippers must wear pasties. Some stupid mayor or police chief will inevitably try to enforce it beyond that restriction, but unless there is more to the law than what was quoted in the article, it does not ban topless sunbathing, breast feeding, or just walking around topless. Of course, a woman challenging the law would do so at her own risk.

[Tio_Narratore]

Originally Posted by soflabbwlvr

The important part of this law is the phrase "for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire." What this means is that strippers must wear pasties. Some stupid mayor or police chief will inevitably try to enforce it beyond that restriction, but unless there is more to the law than what was quoted in the article, it does not ban topless sunbathing, breast feeding, or just walking around topless. Of course, a woman challenging the law would do so at her own risk.

That is, unless some one raises the complaint that breast feeding or simple nudity arouses some people, and that, since everyone knows this, a woman going topless would know that she would arouse people, and therefore would be doing it for purposes of sexual arousal.

Beware of lawyers, Ms. Smith.

[soflabbwlvr]

Originally Posted by Tio_Narratore

That is, unless some one raises the complaint that breast feeding or simple nudity arouses some people, and that, since everyone knows this, a woman going topless would know that she would arouse people, and therefore would be doing it for purposes of sexual arousal.

Beware of lawyers, Ms. Smith.

That would make all nipple exposure a felony, and render the phrase "for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire" meaningless. Courts are required to give meaning to every term in a statute. To do otherwise would be the equivalent of rewriting the statute, which courts are not permitted to do.

In this case, the legislature enacted a specific intent statute. That means the State would have the burden in a criminal prosecution to prove that the Defendant specifically intended to arouse or gratify sexual desire. The prosecution could not rely on a presumption that nipple exposure is inherently arousing. That language created a hurdle for the State, not a shortcut.

[Handley_Page]

OK, Court.
Hands up all those who found the exposed nipples sexually arousing.
Hands up all those who did not

Prisoner at the Bar, you have not been found guilty.
Case dismissed.

[lovecraft68]

The women in NC should still be grateful

show your nipple in the middle east you'll be stoned to death, or doused with acid, or gang raped or etc.....

So whenever you think its tough over here ladies....

[MKvDeepSea]

And I mistakenly believed the South couldn't get much dumber. It amazes me, it is okay to show graphic depictions of people getting hacked up, eviscerated, etc, but show a boob or a butt and they go bonkers!

I would truly love to live just about anywhere else than in the South.

[JustaSCOUNDREL]

Originally Posted by Handley_Page

OK, Court.
Hands up all those who found the exposed nipples sexually arousing.
Hands up all those who did not

Prisoner at the Bar, you have not been found guilty.
Case dismissed.

Not being a lawyer on anything even close I disagree with the guilty verdict. I seems yo me the prosecution would have to prove the woman exposed herself with the intent of arousing others.

That seems to go to the defendants state of mind when she exposed herself and that seems like it could be damn hard to determine and or prove.

Mike

[mynameisben]

Originally Posted by Tio_Narratore

Nipples are legal in public, no matter what their purpose, in staid Ontario.

But are they legal tender?

[3113]

Originally Posted by lovecraft68

The women in NC should still be grateful

Even if you meant that as sarcasm, it doesn't read that way--in fact, it reads pretty bad. No one needs to be "grateful" for any bad thing happening here because "it could be worse" if we were elsewhere.

The threat of six months in jail for flashing a nipple?

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Lotsa ugly women in North Carolina, could be a blessing in disguise

[MKvDeepSea]

Don't agree with that. There are some stunningly beautiful women in NC as there are anywhere. I just can't stand the South's politics.

I'm thinking Belize.

[Handley_Page]

And the only folk to benefit from this crazy stuff are the Lawyers [no change there !]

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by MKvDeepSea

I'm thinking Belize.

Isn't that pretty much in the south?

Key West Forever.

[soflabbwlvr]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Isn't that pretty much in the south?

Key West Forever.

To Key West!

[Edward Teach]

The Teabaggers pretty much took over the NC House in 2010 and the results are going to be devastating now that we have a Republican Governor. He has already declared war on the "Liberal" University of NC working to get rid of many social courses, meaning African Studies, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to outlaw the University teaching evolution.

[TE999]

Another idiot law just ripe for a challenge on the wording alone. Some woman will sue the state for discrimination, it'll go through the various courts, will no doubt be found unconstitutional and overturned.

Meanwhile, uncounted thousands of taxpayers dollars will be wasted fighting this dumb law through the courts just so it can lose in the end.

With all the problems we're facing in this country, worrying about someone getting a woody from seeing unfettered nip-nips is ridiculous.

The South doesn't have a monopoly on idiot laws and politicians either. The North has plenty of them too; not to mention the Mid-West and especially the Left coast. home of the 9th Circus Court of Appeals.

[sr71plt]

Has anyone actually read the article to see that it isn't a law; it's just a bill in committee at this point? There is no end to nonsense bills being introduced in every state's legislature. Doesn't mean that a whole lot of them get passed.

[NaokoSmith]

Originally Posted by mynameisben

But are they legal tender?

And are they tender at all?

In Scotland a law was passed saying that women may breastfeed their children in public up to the age of 2, after a woman was thrown off a bus for doing so. It was around this time that I had my piglet and I went to the local Costa bar and nervously asked them to put up some posters saying they would allow mums to hang out there and breastfeed somewhere other than the toilet (gah!). Next time I went the place was plastered in signs saying, If you don't like breastfeeding go and have coffee somewhere else.

Buy a cup from them today! since HP is not serving in the Naked Party lounge yet. (Thank Goodness the Naked Party lounge is not in North Carolina, although I'm sure everyone there is far too and chilled to get over-excited at the sight of a mammary gland.)

[Handley_Page]

Originally Posted by NaokoSmith

And are they tender at all?

In Scotland a law was passed saying that women may breastfeed their children in public up to the age of 2, after a woman was thrown off a bus for doing so. It was around this time that I had my piglet and I went to the local Costa bar and nervously asked them to put up some posters saying they would allow mums to hang out there and breastfeed somewhere other than the toilet (gah!). Next time I went the place was plastered in signs saying, If you don't like breastfeeding go and have coffee somewhere else.

Buy a cup from them today! since HP is not serving in the Naked Party lounge yet. (Thank Goodness the Naked Party lounge is not in North Carolina, although I'm sure everyone there is far too and chilled to get over-excited at the sight of a mammary gland.)

Sometimes, HP is too cool to get over-excited !