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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050526/D8AAUV9G0.html

Man Arrested for Wearing Grinch Mask





May 26, 11:47 AM (ET)


WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - City and county attorneys are defending Wheeling police who arrested a man for wearing a Grinch mask while walking along a city street.

Norman Eugene Gray, 42, was arrested Tuesday. He was arraigned and released on a personal recognizance bond.

Officers saw Gray about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, told him to take the mask off and not put it on again. Gray removed it and asked why he could not wear it, according to Wheeling police reports. Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal.

Gray said he felt he had a right to wear it and said it was not illegal. He put the mask back on and was arrested. The mask was confiscated.

Wheeling City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth and Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith said masks as well as dark window tinting in vehicles can pose a safety hazard to law enforcement officers and hinder efforts to identify criminal suspects.

"When we think about masks, we don't always think of Halloween," Humway-Warmuth said.

Smith said wearing a mask or hood in public is a misdemeanor under state law, punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to a year in jail, or both. Children up to 16 years old can wear masks. Traditional Halloween masks, safety gear used in occupations, theatrical productions, civil defense or protection from bad weather also are legal.

Babaganoosh

Sounds reasonable. He was told not to wear it, he did it anyway. He got arrested. Boo fucking hoo. He should also be charged with felony stupidity.

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College Downtime

fucking dumbass

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flashfire

what an idiot

pr0

sorry, but when did we raise the fascist regime?

maybe i wasn't around for the swearing in ceremony

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DaddyHalbucks

It's an illegal law. It abridges free speech. People can wear whatever clothing they want.

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Bansheelinks

no kidding.

some of the observations on here sound like they would have applauded the brownshirts.

Judas_Hansen

tell that to the KKK and the nudists

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Babaganoosh

Facist regime?

It was a 42 year old man wearing a grinch mask for no apparent reason. People that wear masks are usually up to something. The law exists for a reason. Try walking into a bank in a hat and sunglasses...let alone a grinch mask.

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Doctor Dre

Welcome to the land of the free

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Mike Okitch

What a crock of shit!

Yeah it's pretty stupid to wear a mask in the middle of the day while walking down the street. But that guy has a right to look like an idiot if he chooses to.

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Wiggles

haha thats the first thing i tohught too, guy was probably all fucked up on something.

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Babaganoosh

Not if it causes people to panic and call the police thinking that he's either about to do something or just did.

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Babaganoosh

It's easier to reply with pictures than actually thinking, isn't it?

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polish_aristocrat

i agree with this statement

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Bansheelinks

i second that

Bansheelinks

what kind of society do you want to live in, when someone can't even wear a grinch mask in public if one wants to?

oh yeah...........the same kind of society where the gov't tells those posting 'dirty nude pictures' to have records of every single bitty thing in order for the gov't to better harrass these producers of 'dirty pictures', all the while saying its because its 'best for us' and 'daddy gov't knows best'.

sounds like the church in the 16th century if you ask me.

uno

Tell that to NYC. It's been illegal there for a while.

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uno

Hurray for 'small gov't' republicans.

Libertarian!

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Babaganoosh

Comparing the two is insane. It's idiots like you who give liberal pussies a bad name.

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Judas_Hansen

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Bansheelinks

no way. this federal gov't is setting some ominous tones lately for the republican voting sheep to follow, in the name of 'they know what is right' and 'they know what is good for us' while they wave the bible in the air.

and just watch bush try and push a right-wing nutjob on us for the Supreme Court. rembember robert bork? is that what you want?

Mike Okitch

Yeah, it's pretty tempting to reply with a bunch of pictures and I reckon that I came close to doing just that.

He caused people to panic because of a Grinch mask. For the exception of wearing a Grinch mask, Tthe article makes no mention of him being as much as suspected of having done any wrongdoings.

According to your own logic, it would be okay to just stop about everybody on the street, with or without disguise, simply because they cause people to panic. Well, sorry to say but if causing people to panic is good enough a reason to get arrested, I'll have a real hard time getting out for breakfast on my hungover sunday mornings.

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mardigras

I third that, but I also expect leniency for anyone who inadvertantly harms him in panic "self defense"

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Mr Dickovitch

The law in this article is a state law not a Federal law. You cannot wear a Grinch mask in West Virginia. For your Kanadians and Euroidiots this will be difficult for you to understand but states sometimes have their own laws.

Mike Okitch

Who the fuck said it was a federal law? Thanks for pointing out the obvious, jackass.

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Babaganoosh

You can't reason with ultra-liberal nutjobs. I think they have their Birkenstocks on too tight. Everything that happens in the US that they don't like, they will reply with idiotic banter like "facist state" and "communists."

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Babaganoosh

It depends on what they are doing. Wearing a grinch mask for no apparent reason is cause to be suspicious of that person. Generally, if you cause people to panic or fear for their safety you are violating the law (and for good reason). This is similar to yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater and then when you are being arrested trying to claim that the government is infringing on your right to free speech.

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bringer

how about a gas mask? can i walk down your street with my briefcase wearing a gas mask? people associate certain things with certain activities. masks are worn by 12 year olds during Halloween and people causing havoc who dont want their identity revealed. unless this guy is retarded and doesn't understand that, he should of followed the order from the police to remove it and keep it off.

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Mike Okitch

I have been approached a few times by police officers when walking late at night in a quiet neighborhood. The routine I've gone through is to usually be asked who I am and what I'm doing. Once I told them, they might ask a few more questions to see if my story checks out. Once they figure it does, they just let me be.

This by no means makes me an expert on what police procedure is, but it would be fair to say that the whole quizzing a suspicious looking guy thing for cops is similar from one city to another.

That being said, I'll go so far as agreeing that wearing a grinch mask can make one seem suspicious to a police officer. He actually did look suspicious hence why he was approached. Once they figured out that his only "crime" was to wear this mask, they should have left him alone. Falsely yelling "FIRE" is an actual crime so the analogy doesn't really match.

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GatorB

So Halloween is illegal there right. I mean do the cops arrest 1000's of kids on Oct 31st?

Mike Okitch

So a cop approaches you and asks "Who are you and why are you wearing this?" You tell them and if the story is that you're just a weirdo en route to a fart-o-thon, they let you go.

It's if you go with the "Ahmmmmmmm, I'mmmmmm, you know hmmmmmm, going to work..." as a story that the cops should pick you up.

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Babaganoosh

So is wearing a mask for no apparent reason hence this thread.

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bringer

read post #1
children up to 16 years old are allowed to wear masks.

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sniperwolf

wtf!

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Babaganoosh

Read the post, knucklehead. Let me help you:

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GatorB

OK so hire 16 year olds to commit crimes for you. Gotcha.

And if I have a costume party at my house on Halloween my guests can't ear masks. That place is fucked up. I'd move out of there quick. A place only GW Bush would love.

bringer

its a state law. the police enforce it, not decide who it applys to. they gave him the option to remove it and keep it off and the guy basicly said "fuck you pig, ill do whatever i want".

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bringer

the law says in public, not your private property. what does bush have to do with this? anything? didnt think so


here you go
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/script...C23050&invol=1

West Virginia Code 61-6-22 (1992) states:



(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person, whether in a motor vehicle or otherwise, while wearing any mask, hood or device whereby any portion of the face is so covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer, may:



(1) Come into or appear upon any walk, alley, street, road, highway or other thoroughfare dedicated to public use;



(2) Come into or appear in any trading area, concourse, waiting room, lobby or foyer open to, used by or frequented by the general public;



(3) Come into or appear upon or within any of the grounds or buildings owned, leased, maintained or operated by the state or any political subdivision thereof;



(4) Ask, request, or demand entrance or admission to the

premises, enclosure, dwelling or place of business of any other person within this state; or



(5) Attend or participate in any meeting upon private property of another unless written permission for such meeting has first been obtained from the owner or occupant thereof.



(b) The provisions of this section do not apply to any person:



(1) Under sixteen years of age;



(2) Wearing a traditional holiday costume;



(3) Engaged in a trade or employment where a mask, hood or device is worn for the purpose of ensuring the physical safety of the wearer;



(4) Using a mask, hood or device in theatrical productions, including use in mardi gras celebrations or similar masquerade balls;



(5) Wearing a mask, hood or device prescribed for civil defense drills, exercises or emergencies; or



(6) Wearing a mask, hood or device for the sole purpose of protection from the elements or while participating in a winter sport.



(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned in the county jail not more than one year, or both fined and imprisoned.

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DWB

So lets see. You CAN wear a mask on certain holidays and when it's cold outside. But if it's over a certain temperature outside or not on the holidays, it is illegal to wear a mask and you will be arrested for it.

Fucking priceless. Only in America.

Babaganoosh

It sounds perfectly logical to me. Unless there is a reason to hide your identity, don't.

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DWB

Why can't you wear a mask? You can choose every article of clothing including your HAT... which is legal. But the moment you cover your face it is illegal?

That's as ignorant as when they charge producers with obscenity charges for fisting. If you leave your thumb outside, it's perfectly legal because it's only 4 fingers... but if you add just one more finger your charged with obscenity.

4 fingers = OK
5 fingers = Arrested

Hat = OK
Mask = Arrested

I'm not saying it's the smartest thing to do, and it is odd... but the point is it should be your freedom to wear a mask if you choose.

Alex

Im going to walk into a bank with a ski mask on. If i get arrested i will sue because i have the right to wear a mask.


In all seriousness, sure he has the right to wear what he wants, but why be an idiot and push the line with the law. He had no reason to wear the mask other than to piss the police off, he got what he deserved.

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popy

Thats what you get for being a bitch

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