Finally you can cuss when you fall overboard!
Court Overturns 'Cussing Canoeist' Law
Tue Apr 2,11:20 AM ET
DETROIT (Reuters) - A Michigan court has overturned the conviction of a man dubbed the "cussing canoeist," ruling an obscure 105-year-old state law barring swearing in front of women and children unconstitutional.
The case involved Timothy Boomer, a Detroit-area computer programmer who was charged with the crime while on an August 1998 canoeing trip in Arenac County, about 125 miles north of Detroit.
Prosecutors said Boomer yelled the "f-word" as many as 75 times after he fell out of his canoe on the remote Rifle River, within earshot of a 5-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl.
The case attracted national attention, pitting free speech advocates against supporters of stronger curbs on offensive language.
Boomer was found guilty after a district court judge refused to dismiss the case, arguing there was a compelling community interest in "protecting the morality of our children."
But the Michigan Court of Appeals on Monday said the law making it a misdemeanor crime to "use any indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child" was too vague.
"Allowing a prosecution where one utters 'insulting' language could possibly subject a vast percentage of the populace to a misdemeanor conviction," the three judges wrote in their unanimous opinion.
Re: Finally you can cuss when you fall overboard!
Quote:
Originally posted by barrk
Prosecutors said Boomer yelled the "f-word" as many as 75 times after he fell out of his canoe on the remote Rifle River, within earshot of a 5-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl.
I may have too much free time, but I just tried to say F**K 75 times and cant imagine ever being pissed enough to do that spontaneously(*SP*). It must have been some seriously cold water and he must have been hauling diamonds in that canoe.
Re: Re: Finally you can cuss when you fall overboard!
Quote:
Originally posted by BG
I may have too much free time, but I just tried to say F**K 75 times and cant imagine ever being pissed enough to do that spontaneously(*SP*). It must have been some seriously cold water and he must have been hauling diamonds in that canoe.
i do it all the time...
Re: Re: Finally you can cuss when you fall overboard!
Quote:
Originally posted by BG
I may have too much free time, but I just tried to say F**K 75 times and cant imagine ever being pissed enough to do that spontaneously(*SP*). It must have been some seriously cold water and he must have been hauling diamonds in that canoe.
no F***ing kidding. I tried to say F***, and you better F***ing believe me that I can F***ing say F*** a great F***ing many F***ing times. But 75 F***s well now, that just F***ing ridiculous, like you gotta sit down and F***ing put forth some F***ing effort to actually say F***, 75 F***ing times.
F***. Not only that, but who F***ing actually counts how many F***ing times a F*** F***ing says F***, I mean, if it's really that F***ing a offensive to your F***ing children, get them the F*** out of there.
I feel dirty.
Re: Re: Re: Finally you can cuss when you fall overboard!
Quote:
Originally posted by JPicasso
no F***ing kidding. I tried to say F***, and you better F***ing believe me that I can F***ing say F*** a great F***ing many F***ing times. But 75 F***s well now, that just F***ing ridiculous, like you gotta sit down and F***ing put forth some F***ing effort to actually say F***, 75 F***ing times.
F***. Not only that, but who F***ing actually counts how many F***ing times a F*** F***ing says F***, I mean, if it's really that F***ing a offensive to your F***ing children, get them the F*** out of there.
I feel dirty.
yes, i ****ing agree... except most of the ****ing children ****ing swear a whole ****ing lost more than the ****ing adults do... so id like to tell everyone to **** off, cuz your all ****ing stupid ****ing retarded mothr ****ing pieced of ****ing dog ****ing poo... im too ****ing lazy to count all the ****ings, but i don't ****ing quite think that i ****ing said ****ing quite ****ing 75 times... and all these ****ings probably make this whole ****ing thing sound ****ing retarded. Well, when i get done ****ing your mom, and your sister ill ****ing stop saying the ****ing **** word okay... so **** you...
whew... that took a lot of thinking to fit all those ****ings in there..
