PhD student sues over citation for swearing at airport

[question everything]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-swear28feb28,0,7034186.story?coll=la-home-headlines

PhD student sues over citation for swearing at airport
By Roy Rivenburg
Times Staff Writer

February 27, 2007

(snip)

Last summer, Elizabeth Venable of Riverside was cited for disorderly conduct after she allegedly yelled obscenities to a friend while exiting the airport's baggage claim area. An Orange County sheriff's deputy, noticing several families with small children nearby, "asked Venable to please watch her language while at the airport," according to court documents. Venable allegedly replied, "Is it against the law to say ?" Yes, it is, the deputy advised.

Venable, who is studying for a PhD in dance history and theory at UC Riverside, was charged with violating a county ordinance that bans "disorderly, obnoxious and indecent" behavior at the airport, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors later added a disturbing the peace charge based on her allegedly "loud and unreasonable" noise.

Venable, 26, is fighting back on two fronts — a 1st Amendment lawsuit in federal court and a criminal defense in Orange County Superior Court. The federal suit contends that the airport behavior law is unconstitutionally vague and squelches free speech. A motion filed by Venable's attorneys in Superior Court echoes the federal lawsuit in more detail.

(snip)

A Superior Court judge recently threw out the disturbing the peace allegation against Venable, but ordered her to be arraigned in March on the disorderly conduct charge.

(snip)

[lligrd]

1. Freedoms???

What freedoms are we fighting for in Iraq? Freedoms we have lost here? Good gawd!

[GreenZoneLT]

2. A PhD in dance history and theory?

Man, everything's gotten so regimented. Dance history and theory; sheesh. That ought to be something kept in the brains of choreographers. Actually, probably all the worthwhile dance history and theory IS in the brains of choreographers; making it a PhD study is about as useful as having Mass Communication PhDs teach journalism. Which is to say, not so much.

I don't think the constitution was written to protect people's right to be jerkoffs. Her proper response would have been, "Oops, sorry," not making a freakin' federal case about it. She might win, but it's hardly a precedent that needs setting.

[Kiouni]

5. I agree what if there were F*$%ing children

present.

[orleans]

3. DAMMIT! n/t

[piesRsquare]

4. Oh, great!

Another idiotic case clogging up the courts. Focus on your studies, girlie, and act civilized at the airport!

[WorldResident]

6. I'm glad you find the Constitution to be idiotic

:eyes:

And girlie? I'm guessing you've not been around women too much.

[conscious evolution]

7. Yeah frivolous lawsuits suck

next thing you know people will be sueing because they got burned by McDonalds coffee.
Or to have a vote count stopped.