(FinalCall.com) - Palm Beach Circuit Judge Paul Moyle ruled Sept. 15 that a “sagging pants” ordinance in Riviera Beach, Fla., was unconstitutional after a 17-year-old was arrested and held overnight in jail.
“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, no bond,” said Judge Moyle.
Supporters of an ordinance outlawing “sagging pants” gathered 5,000 signatures last March to put a proposed ban to a vote. It passed.
“The ordinance was overwhelmingly passed by the citizens,” said Francis Muhammad, Nation of Islam student study group leader in nearby West Palm Beach. “That city is 80 percent Black and the people were just tired of seeing it. The elders and most of the homeowners were just tired of seeing it.”
While many cities around the country are enacting ordinances and laws against the widely popular style of dress called “sagging” or “baggy pants,” Riviera Beach, Fla., had the distinction of being the first city to arrest someone for the offense and have the law ruled unconstitutional.
With 11 arrests to date, eyes are on Riviera Beach to see what will happen next.
Prior to the judge’s ruling, according to the law, anyone whose pants were so low that skin or underwear could be seen faced legal action. The first offense carried a $150 fine or community service. Repeat offenders could have been sentenced to as many as 60 days in jail.
Low slung pants a national nuisance?
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