December 10th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Unfortunately for people who want to keep moving while on crowded sidewalks it’s been ruled that even if you and your friends are blocking peoples paths through bustling Times Square it’s not a crime.
Matthew Jones had been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in June of 2004, but the New York Court of Appeals decided on Tuesday to overturn his conviction. At the time police has said that people had to walk around him and that he wouldn’t moved when asked and he flailed his arms.
Jones pleaded guilty in 2004 after spending a night in jail, but he later appealed.
To be convicted of disorderly conduct in New York, a person must be acting “with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof” and obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic, according to the unanimous opinion.
The court found that Jones’ behavior – standing in the middle of the sidewalk at 2:01 a.m. with friends – did not meet the definition.
“Otherwise, any person who happens to stop on a sidewalk – whether to greet another, to seek directions or simply to regain one’s bearings – would be subject to prosecution under this statute,” the opinion said.
Maybe this isn’t illegal, but it sure is rude when I encounter it on the streets of Toronto. Move to the side people!
November 15th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
How would you like to have been one of the custom officials opening up a package that had come from Hong Kong that had been marked “personal clothing” only to find about 300 live scorpions and spiders!
The scorpions and spiders had been packed in nets, bottles and transparent plastic boxes and were concealed under clothing and newspapers within the package. Tarantulas were also included in the spider tally.
“The scorpions almost bit the examiner,” Nelson Ebio, a port collector at the Central Mail Exchange Center, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It was the first time the post office had encountered such poisonous mail, he said.
The package had arrived from Hong Kong on a Monday, but it wasn’t clear who had sent the package or why although it’s been speculated that the package was intended for someone who collects these types of invertebrates and insects. My guess, having been involved in reptile keeping, is more along the lines that these creatures were being smuggled into the country illegally for the pet trade.
The spiders and scorpions have been handed over to Manila parks and wildlife officials.
The spiders and scorpions were later handed over to the parks and wildlife office.
July 5th, 2007 at 12:20 am
How many times have you heard stories about criminals that have done some stupid everyday kind of thing that ends up being what gets them caught?
I know I’ve written enough stories like that here on Odd Planet!
You know the ones that have expired tags on their vehicles or a broken tail light? Basically minor traffic infractions that end up getting them caught for major crimes!
Once such criminal is Larenzo Dixon, 22 of San Diego. He was arrest in March at a downtown transit station during a police crackdown on jaywalkers.
A routine check of the illegal jaywalker turned up a murder warrant on Dixon from Louisiana.
