A Florida Circuit Court Judge has ruled that a law banning people from wearing baggy, sagging pants in unconstitutional. Judge Paul Moyle was assigned the unenviable task of trying a case where 17 year old Julius Hart had been thrown in jail for wearing sagging pants that exposed his underwear. The police report noted 4 inches of the teenagers boxer shorts were visible putting him violation of a town law enacted by voters in Rivera Beach, Florida.

Thankfully, justice was upheld by the court in striking down this absolutely ridiculous law. Judge Moyle noted in his remarks from the bench:

We’re not talking about exposure of buttocks. No. We’re talking about someone who has on pants whose underwear are apparently visible to a police officer who then makes an arrest, and the basis is he’s then held overnight.

If they enacted this law and enforced it here in Baltimore, basically half of the males in the city - black, white & latino - would be spending the night in jail, in a town with perhaps some of the lowest belt sales numbers in the Western world. And so what? If people want to wear their pants baggy and saggy that’s up to them. For all the talk about freedom and liberty in this country, it’s astonishing how quickly too many people want to restrict it over being mildly offended about something that is none of their business.

The sad part is that many cities and towns across America have enacted or are considering enacting similar clothing bans. You can takepart in putting an end to this foolishness by checking out and supporting the American Civil Liberties Union.

LINKS:

Agence France Press: Baggy Pants Ban “Unconstitutional”, rules US Judge

Central Florida 13 News: Baggy Pants Ban Rules Unconstitutional

WPTV: Saggy Pants Ban is Being Pulled Down