Woman arrested for swearing at toilet in own home!

[yasmina27]

Truly too weird to be true:

http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18920981&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=6

A West Scranton woman could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300 for allegedly shouting profanities at an overflowing toilet while inside her Luzerne Street home.

Dawn Herb, whose potty mouth caught the attention of an off-duty police officer, was charged with disorderly conduct recently, prompting her to fire off a letter to the editor and vow to fight the charge.



Do you think this would make an "Oddball" story on Keith Olbermann? Anyone have his email? I tried to find it, but for some reason the MSNBC website is all screwed up for me tonight, and can't get onto Countdown's website at all.

Thanks!

[alarimer]

1. This is one cop who overstepped his bounds.

This needs to be dismissed. And maybe the cop does too. Fascist pig.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Yeah, this is a dupe.

But as I was mentioning on the other thread, I'm betting this is only half the story. I can't help but wonder if somebody called the cops because of all the shouting, and then when the cops showed up she did something stupid and committed disorderly conduct.

[MadMaddie]

4. But if she was in her own home and she wasn't hurting anyone

then the cops overstepped their bounds.

[TomInTib]

8. Disorderly conduct is pretty wide-reaching.

And that is what she was charged with.

As was Larry Craig.

Heck, where I live you can be charged with DC for failing to quiet a barking dog (no kidding, it happened to my next-door neighbor).

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. If she was in her own home, she still can't disturb her neighbors.

So the cops coming out to give her some citation for a noise ordinance violation would be legitimate. I'd like to know what happened after that. Sounds like we're only hearing half the story.

[cynatnite]

5. A neighbor overheard her swearing at the toilet...

and called the police.

She yelled for her daughter to get the mop and basically acted like I have when our toilet's overflowed.

Here is what the ACLU said about it at the end of the article:

The use of obscene language or gestures is an offense under the state criminal code. But cursing at a police officer isn’t a punishable offense, said Mary Catherine Roper, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union based in Philadelphia.

“It cannot be the basis for a citation. You can’t prosecute somebody for swearing at a cop or a toilet,” she said. “We bring one of these cases a year and sue some police departments because they do not remember that they are not the language police.”

[DaveJ]

16. I think since an off duty cop called it in they decided to follow it through

I seriously think this is another case of police overexerting their authority. A lot of people talk to themselves while in their own home. I wonder if this next door neighbor cop ever actually got to know the woman???? His first contact with her is not to deliver cake and cookies, but to have her arrested?!?!?!

[aikoaiko]

3. What?! No Taser?!

made myself :rofl:

[tammywammy]

6. Did someone say taser???

[monktonman]

9. Last time I tased my toilet it backed up....er.....back-fired on me

Ok I know, its a stretch.
or was that stench.
whatever.

[distantearlywarning]

7. People should be allowed to swear in the privacy of their home any time they want

I can't believe that this is even a story. How ridiculous. If I were this woman I would sue the living daylights out of this PD for wasting my time.

[MadMaddie]

11. Exactly....and for the off duty cop who escalated this non-issue

[kestrel91316]

12. If she was drunk and swearing for no good reason, MAYBE it would be

disorderly conduct. When a toilet is acting up it's perfectly acceptable, normal behavior IMHO.

[flyarm]

13. ut oh ..i am in trouble!!!!!!!..hahahaha...eom

[yasmina27]

14. The off-duty cop

was the neighbor who called the police.

Good thing they weren't around a few weeks ago when my toilet overflowed...

[peekaloo]

15. new meaning for "got her bowels in an uproar".

:dunce:

[liberal N proud]

17. She was a potty mouth

I didn't see anyone posted that here so...


:hurts:



:rofl: