Illegal in Tampa????

[weesie]

I have read this article a few times and I don't see why this poor guy got arrested. What did he do wrong in the first place. Before resisting anyway.


Odd!!!

Tampa man arrested for wearing clown mask, wig - Yahoo! News-

weesie

 

[Mouche12]

Beats me weesie! I know that in Amsterdam you can wear (or not wear!) pretty much what you like. The most memorable of all (IMHO) was a handsome, tanned man a couple of years ago who used to be roller skating in summertime only wearing a string!

 

[judyb57]

The group RAN when the officer approached. He was wearing a disguise, do you know how many daytime robberies take place and almost always by someone trying to disguise their faces? And then, he resisted arrest. I can see why he was arrested.

 

[Mouche12]

Oh yeah, thanks Judy. I understand now... although Amsterdam is not an innocent place either, there are indeed much more robberies in the US (percentage wise), and many of the perpetrators are wearing masks.

If it were a clown with a bunch of kids, the setting would be much different right?

 

[judyb57]

If it were a clown with a bunch of kids, the setting would be much different right?

Yes, a LOT different

 

[weesie]

I still don't see it.

"""""A Tampa man faces charges after a deputy spotted him WALKING in a clown mask"""""

""""" charged with wearing a mask or hood on a public road over the age of 16 and resisting arrest without violence"""

"""" group fled when deputies tried to question them""""

It also doesn't say the other two were in a costume. If they were burglars, wouldn't they all have been in costume??

Oh well, still seems odd to me.

 

[CareyG]

I find it a little odd as well. Its stupid to arrest someone just for wearing a mask??​

 

[labell]

I found out why! I google'd and here are some of the answers I found....


From Florida Statute 876.12:

876.12 Wearing mask, hood, or other device on public way. No person or persons over 16 years of age shall, while wearing any mask, hood, or device whereby any portion of the face is so hidden, concealed, or covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer, enter upon, or be or appear upon any lane, walk, alley, street, road, highway, or other public way in this state.​

Most mask/hood laws were generally written with the intent to suppress Ku Klux Klan activity.

Texas has a similar law. It was written in the '30s or '40s to cut down on public lynchings by the KKK. Nowadays, it's usually enforced to keep college kids from getting too rambunctious on Halloween.

 

[Mouche12]

Aha! Thanks labell! So, it is also related to KKK legislation...

 

[sweetlummi]

That is one state I will not wont to be in.It must be all the old people new rules

 

[judyb57]

That is one state I will not wont to be in.It must be all the old people new rules

Hey! I resemble that remark!

 

[dani3839]

hey, me too, lmaooo