Mooning is legal in MD

orangerory · 01-04-06, 01:44 PM

I'm taking off early after work to go moon some folks. Who's with me?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010301509.html
Mooning Deemed 'Disgusting' but No Crime in Md.

By Ernesto Londoo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 4, 2006; B01

Acquitting a Germantown man who exposed his buttocks during an argument with a neighbor, a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that mooning, while distasteful, is not illegal in Maryland.

"If exposure of half of the buttock constituted indecent exposure, any woman wearing a thong at the beach at Ocean City would be guilty," Judge John W. Debelius III said after the bench trial, reversing the ruling of a District Court judge.

Debelius made clear his disdain for the defendant, calling the alleged act "disgusting" and "demeaning." The outcome could have been different, he suggested, if the man had been on trial for "being a jerk."

The case arose from a June 7 argument between the defendant, Raymond Hugh McNealy, 44, and a neighbor, Nanette Vonfeldt. Vonfeldt pressed charges against McNealy after he allegedly yelled and, according to Vonfeldt, threatened to "blow up my building" as she and her 8-year-old daughter walked out of their apartment, in the 20200 block of Shipley Terrace in Germantown.

"Then, for whatever reason, in full view of my daughter, he mooned us," Vonfeldt wrote in a court document. The two had a long-standing feud over issues before their homeowners association, which held a heated meeting the night before, McNealy's attorneys said. McNealy wanted Vonfeldt off the association's board, his attorneys said.

The case went to trial Sept. 12 before Montgomery District Court Judge Eugene Wolfe, who ruled against the defendant. Indecent exposure in Maryland is punishable by as much as three years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

McNealy's attorneys appealed the verdict, arguing that indecent exposure in Maryland constitutes the willful public display of a person's "private parts" -- which, they argued, do not include a person's buttocks.

Senior Assistant State's Attorney Dan Barnett said the indecent exposure law in Maryland is ambiguous.

"In our minds, this was not a bathing suit scenario," said Barnett, who supervises Montgomery County prosecutors who handle cases in District Court. "This was a grown man exposing himself to an 8-year-old girl."

Defense attorneys cited a 1983 case of a woman who was arrested after protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court wearing nothing but a cardboard sign that covered the front of her body. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in 1986 that indecent exposure is limited to a person's genitals.

James Maxwell, one of McNealy's attorneys, said yesterday's ruling should "bring comfort to all beachgoers and plumbers" in the state.

Red Dog · 01-04-06, 01:47 PM

I've never seen thongs at Ocean City.

Birrman54 · 01-04-06, 01:53 PM

not nearly as many as there ought to be

wendersfan · 01-04-06, 01:54 PM

Yet another example of an activist judge legislating from the bench.

Minor Threat · 01-04-06, 01:55 PM

Tax money well spent.....

talemyn · 01-04-06, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birrman54

not nearly as many as there ought to be

Careful what you wish for . .. you may get the wrong people wearing them.

JasonF · 01-04-06, 02:01 PM

My sister-in-law lives right near there.

greg9x · 01-04-06, 04:26 PM

I'll be sure to bring this up to the hot chicks at the club !!! Had a friend get indecent exposure charges filed against her for flashing her tits at Ocean City... what a sad world we live in !!

Alien Redrum · 01-04-06, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Dog

I've never seen thongs at Ocean City.

I personally thank God for that.

bhk · 01-04-06, 04:58 PM

I remeber some country trying to discourage older people from going au natural at their nude beaches.

hector031 · 01-04-06, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Dog

I've never seen thongs at Ocean City.

I worked there for 6 years and I don't remember ever seeing a thong either. I thought they were banned by the city in order to keep the feeling of a family vacation area. Maybe it was just around the boardwalk area that they were banned.

Lara Means · 01-04-06, 08:59 PM

Ocean City sucks.

lordwow · 01-04-06, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangerory

"If exposure of half of the buttock constituted indecent exposure, any woman wearing a thong at the beach at Ocean City would be guilty," Judge John W. Debelius III said after the bench trial, reversing the ruling of a District Court judge.

Yes... Let's lock them all up... together...

Red Dog · 01-04-06, 10:18 PM

Heck, they don't even allow thongs at Seacrets in OC.

Joe Molotov · 01-04-06, 10:26 PM

At least he didn't give them a UFIA. Those things are legal too.

costanza187 · 01-05-06, 06:10 AM

That's Amore

01-04-06, 01:44 PM	#1
orangerory DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 2,095	Mooning is legal in MD I'm taking off early after work to go moon some folks. Who's with me? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010301509.html Mooning Deemed 'Disgusting' but No Crime in Md. By Ernesto Londoo Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 4, 2006; B01 Acquitting a Germantown man who exposed his buttocks during an argument with a neighbor, a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge ruled yesterday that mooning, while distasteful, is not illegal in Maryland. "If exposure of half of the buttock constituted indecent exposure, any woman wearing a thong at the beach at Ocean City would be guilty," Judge John W. Debelius III said after the bench trial, reversing the ruling of a District Court judge. Debelius made clear his disdain for the defendant, calling the alleged act "disgusting" and "demeaning." The outcome could have been different, he suggested, if the man had been on trial for "being a jerk." The case arose from a June 7 argument between the defendant, Raymond Hugh McNealy, 44, and a neighbor, Nanette Vonfeldt. Vonfeldt pressed charges against McNealy after he allegedly yelled and, according to Vonfeldt, threatened to "blow up my building" as she and her 8-year-old daughter walked out of their apartment, in the 20200 block of Shipley Terrace in Germantown. "Then, for whatever reason, in full view of my daughter, he mooned us," Vonfeldt wrote in a court document. The two had a long-standing feud over issues before their homeowners association, which held a heated meeting the night before, McNealy's attorneys said. McNealy wanted Vonfeldt off the association's board, his attorneys said. The case went to trial Sept. 12 before Montgomery District Court Judge Eugene Wolfe, who ruled against the defendant. Indecent exposure in Maryland is punishable by as much as three years in prison and a $1,000 fine. McNealy's attorneys appealed the verdict, arguing that indecent exposure in Maryland constitutes the willful public display of a person's "private parts" -- which, they argued, do not include a person's buttocks. Senior Assistant State's Attorney Dan Barnett said the indecent exposure law in Maryland is ambiguous. "In our minds, this was not a bathing suit scenario," said Barnett, who supervises Montgomery County prosecutors who handle cases in District Court. "This was a grown man exposing himself to an 8-year-old girl." Defense attorneys cited a 1983 case of a woman who was arrested after protesting in front of the U.S. Supreme Court wearing nothing but a cardboard sign that covered the front of her body. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in 1986 that indecent exposure is limited to a person's genitals. James Maxwell, one of McNealy's attorneys, said yesterday's ruling should "bring comfort to all beachgoers and plumbers" in the state.

01-04-06, 01:47 PM	#2
Red Dog DVD Talk God Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Directionally Challenged (for DirecTV) Posts: 104,503	I've never seen thongs at Ocean City. __________________ "A question for you. Would you rather Bucknell make the NCAA's once every 20 years or so and get ass raped by teams like Kansas in the first round or have them drop down a rung to a confernce where they can compete for a title?" - Josh Hinkle 1st Round Final Scores: Bucknell 64 Kansas 63 \| Bucknell 59 Arkansas 55

01-04-06, 01:54 PM	#4
wendersfan Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Where homophobes don't get slut sauce Posts: 28,262	Yet another example of an activist judge legislating from the bench. __________________ "Fifth Element may be as dumb and artless as Johnny Mnemonic, but since a frenchman made it it must be ART!" -Pants "...I think it's a low blow to draw attention to wendersfan's drunken state. " - dork "Just because their victims are still alive doesn't mean they didn't commit murder." - grundle "You concentrate on the sad wanna be hooliganism and let us worry about the actual soccer." - rocketsauce (final score: Columbus 2-Chicago 1)

01-04-06, 01:55 PM	#5
Minor Threat DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: - Flex your head - Posts: 13,581	Tax money well spent..... __________________ "I think they go by username, so you're probably not a very high priority at the moment." - dork "Kansas chokes every year. I don't see why this year will be any different. Go Davidson." - Michael Corvin - Kansas University 2008 National Champions!!!!!

01-04-06, 02:01 PM	#7
JasonF DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: The greater Chicagoland area Posts: 31,926	My sister-in-law lives right near there. __________________ These are my DVDs 360 GamerTag: William T Bunny PSN ID: William_T_Bunny "JasonF can do no wrong!" -- Rockmjd23

01-04-06, 01:53 PM	#3
Birrman54 DVD Talk Platinum Edition Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Hoboken, NJ Posts: 3,067	not nearly as many as there ought to be

01-04-06, 04:26 PM	#8
greg9x DVD Talk Gold Edition Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Frederick, MD Posts: 2,286	I'll be sure to bring this up to the hot chicks at the club !!! Had a friend get indecent exposure charges filed against her for flashing her tits at Ocean City... what a sad world we live in !!

01-04-06, 04:58 PM	#10
bhk DVD Talk Legend Join Date: May 1999 Location: Right of Atilla The Hun Posts: 19,749	I remeber some country trying to discourage older people from going au natural at their nude beaches. __________________ "We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you." Hussein Massawi, the former leader of Hezbollah

01-04-06, 08:59 PM	#12
Lara Means DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Washington DC Posts: 1,954	Ocean City sucks.

01-04-06, 10:18 PM	#14
Red Dog DVD Talk God Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Directionally Challenged (for DirecTV) Posts: 104,503	Heck, they don't even allow thongs at Seacrets in OC. __________________ "A question for you. Would you rather Bucknell make the NCAA's once every 20 years or so and get ass raped by teams like Kansas in the first round or have them drop down a rung to a confernce where they can compete for a title?" - Josh Hinkle 1st Round Final Scores: Bucknell 64 Kansas 63 \| Bucknell 59 Arkansas 55

01-04-06, 10:26 PM	#15
Joe Molotov DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oklahoma, USA. Blu-Ray Total: 390 Posts: 8,491	At least he didn't give them a UFIA. Those things are legal too. __________________ Winner of the DVDTalk 2010 College Basketball Bracket Pool

01-05-06, 06:10 AM	#16
costanza187 DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: The Living Room on the Couch Posts: 4,935	That's Amore __________________ It's the principle, just like when Rosa Parks stole that bus! My DVD Collection