Oak Park Drops Gardening Charges Against Julie Bass, Goes After Her Dogs

[Zephie]

The city may not have the dirt it needs on Julie Bass's garden, so it's going after the farm animals instead.

Prosecutors in Oak Park, Mich., have dropped a misdemeanor charge against Bass, who until yesterday was staring down a July 26 court date and potential 93 days in jail for planting and refusing to remove a vegetable garden on her front lawn.

The Bass family vegetable garden generated a national media stir as the family battled city prosecutors who claimed that cabbages, peppers and tomatoes were not "suitable" for the front yard.

<snip>

According to Bass, Oak Park is pursuing charges that the Bass family dogs are not licensed with the city. Bass claims that the dogs were registered with the city less than a week after she received the ticket and that she has since presented the necessary documentation to prosecutors.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/15/julie-bass-front-yard-gar_n_899723.html

-----

It goes on to say that the city is considering writing a whole new ordinance to try to prosecute her under for her garden, so she's not really out of the woods yet. They're concerned for "public welfare" as a result of her planting efforts.

[Odin2005]

1. This is what happens you have shallow people obsessed with "land values".

[Sal Minella]

2. And/or people who are totally clueless about "raised bed" gardening.

New Orleans cemetery indeed.