Being part of a lineup must suck when you’re the odd man out. I just makes it too easy for the victim to pick you! That’s what happened to 400 pound convicted robber Eric Kenley who was charged with two lower Manhattan robberies in 2007. The lineup Kenley was part of was filled with smaller guys and the courts have decided that it was unjust. Read more »
A proposed by-law in the new Graffiti Control Strategy for Cape Town, South Africa is not only getting tough on vandals, but anyone who makes public art, even with the permission of property owners. Artist Faith47 is circulating a petition to amend the legislation, which currently defines graffiti as any marking “which is visible to a person from a public place and which has not been authorised by the City.” Residents would even need approval and a special permit from the city to paint anything other than a street number on their private property. Hopefully the Cape Town City Council has the good sense to tighten up their definition of graffiti, before they turn a bunch of law-abiders into criminals.
Photo of part of a mural by NAID, TOE, FALKO, BRUSH and DISK by Coda.
The South has always historically found different ways to insidiously violate the rights of black people and it appears that Jim Crow Florida has adopted some of the country’s increasingly popular “decency laws” that target the whole exposed boxer short fashion. The Smoking Gun reports, rather smugly, how the Riveria Beach police have arrested about a dozen young men so far and wouldn’t you know it, they all happen to be black. They were found guilty of illegally wearing their clothes:
“[E]ach of the males was nabbed after officers determined that low-slung pants or shorts had resulted in the exposure of between two and five inches of the individual offender’s boxer shorts.”
This remarkably unconstitutional law will give cops even more leeway to harass the youth with these televisual searches. One of the defendants reportedly told the arresting officer just how fucked up this rights-violating law is: “Your a cracker and ain’t got shit better to do.” First time offenders could face fines up to $150 and repeat violators, 30 real days in jail. |TSG|
Michael Moore’s poor, trashy hometown of Flint, Michigan has joined some of the oppressive backwater communities in the Deep South and enacted laws criminalizing boxer short exposing fashions. Police will now be able to stop, detain, and charge underwear showing transgressors with violating decency laws. To help keep the public in compliance, the Detroit Free Press released this handy illustration outlining the various infractions based on heights of droopiness. It also gave the newspaper outlet the opportunity to lede off with this coded barb: “Flint residents now have to watch their butts because Police Chief David Dicks is on the lookout.” |Freep|
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