It is illegal to wear a fake mustache that provokes laughter in church Tobacco possession/use/purchase (PUP) Youth laws are a set of laws that punish teenagers who possess tobacco products. IPP laws have the good idea of preventing youth from using tobacco products. But the laws target young people themselves rather than the adults who sell to them, or the industry that aggressively markets to young people and then profits from their addiction. The effectiveness of PUPs laws is also questionable; Research shows that PPI laws do little to deter teens from smoking. PUPs laws can also be unfair to less resource-rich community members. They risk stigmatizing and punishing young people, in addition to disproportionate enforcement among young people of color. In Vermont, it is illegal to ban clotheslines. The law prohibits regulations that prohibit «clotheslines or other energy devices based on renewable resources.» For more than a century, New Mexico law provided that «idiots» were barred from voting. In 2016, discriminatory language referring to people with mental disabilities was finally lifted.
For Latrice Harry of Vallejo, California, an unpaid ticket resulted in a $1,400 fine and a suspended driver`s license. Without the ability to drive, Latrice lost her job and her ability to easily visit her children. Stories like Latrice`s are even more common when local governments treat fines not only as enforcement tools, but also as revenue streams. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice released a report on police and judicial practices in Ferguson, Missouri, detailing many injustices. These included the city`s widespread practice of using fines to extract additional funds from its poorest residents, many of whom are black. Local governments and courts can make changes — such as reducing fines, creating payment plan options, or offering alternatives to fines such as community service — to ensure that fines for minor infractions don`t unfairly punish low-income residents. Even the strangest laws can be applied with surprising regularity. Maine, along with several other states, bans car sales on Sundays — largely because industry groups prefer a day off without competition. In 2010, the town of Beacon, New York, forced the closure of an arcade museum due to a ban on pinball machines. The mayor told the New York Times that the city felt compelled to close the museum because «laws cannot be selectively enforced.» Proactive police practices – such as stop and search and window breaking policies – disproportionately target minorities and low-income neighbourhoods.
Whether it`s a vindictive federal prosecution of a rural Native American family using medical marijuana or the state`s prosecution of a large amount of legal marijuana within city limits, mandatory minimum sentences for victimless crimes disproportionately target people living in poverty. These people are easy targets for overzealous prosecutors: unable to afford a lawyer and aware of the catastrophic consequences of dismissal, people living in poverty lack the tools to respond effectively. When a person is imprisoned for years or decades for a victimless crime, the entire community suffers the loss of a parent, sibling, colleague or employee. This section is a criminal offence in England and Wales for any person who receives or disposes of salmon in circumstances where he believes or could reasonably believe that the salmon has been caught illegally. The maximum penalty is two years` imprisonment. This article is part of the Building Healthy and Equitable Communities series and is the first of our policy papers to explore the often unexpected ways in which laws and policies can support or hinder community health. Deepen health equity through archived recordings of the accompanying webinar and conversations with a panel of experts. Although technically illegal, Arkansas has passed laws that «discourage» mispronunciation of its name. Better not to try to pronounce phonetically Arkansas – the provision explicitly states that «pronunciation with the stress on the second syllable with the sound of `a` in `man` and the sound of the terminal `s` is an innovation that should be discouraged.» Other crazy laws across the country include articles about whiskers and especially food. In Alabama, it is illegal to wear a fake mustache that provokes laughter in church, while whiskers are illegal in Indiana if the wearer tends to kiss other people habitually. In Wisconsin, it is illegal to serve butter substitutes in prison; in Utah, it is illegal NOT to drink milk; and don`t sleep in a South Dakota cheese shop.
A generous act in Louisiana could backfire – you could be fined $500 if you send a pizza order to someone`s home without their knowledge. If you are a live artist in Billings, Montana, you need perseverance: you are required by law to remain on stage for the duration of your performance. The law states that «no artist or artist, male or female, may leave this platform or area while entertaining or performing.» Rules associated with 21. The century does not seem to keep pace, permeating the nation. Until last June, Virginia banned «habitual drunks» from possessing alcohol. From 2007 to 2015, the state designated 1,220 people as «habitual drunks,» and this group of 1,220 people was charged with nearly 5,000 liquor possessions. A complainant was arrested 30 times for drinking or wanting to drink. Tharney and his commission released a comprehensive report on legal anachronisms in New Jersey in 2012.
The list included a ban on public stunts, a loophole that allowed state police to hire private detectives to pursue «thieves, vagrants, looters,» and a pre-Google Maps requirement that courthouse columns face the meridian so people could realign their compasses. In Los Angeles County, California, the majority of buildings were constructed after the minimum number of parking spaces went into effect. The county now has a whopping 200+ square miles of parking, and the city continues to struggle with traffic congestion and affordability. To combat these kinds of problems, cities can remove their minimum parking spaces. You can also consider going further and converting existing parking spaces for other purposes, especially for non-vehicular traffic friendly uses. Nevertheless, other states recognize the value of a legal body that detects loopholes. Lawmakers in Massachusetts, for example, have been pushing for the creation of a state law review commission since early 2015.