THUNDER BAY – Crimebeat – One of the oddities of crime are some of the laws that politicians have put on the books. Often the problem is that as time goes along, old by-laws, or regulations enacted by past governments are never repealed when new laws are enacted.
For example there is still a law on the books in Calgary, Alberta that upon being released from jail, a person must be provided with a horse, three days rations, a handgun and ammunition. It is not known how many people have asked for this to be done, and it is certain that if it were, the authorities would instantly arrest the person for being in possession of that handgun. However it would make for an interesting court case.
In many places across North America there are leash laws that require a dog to be on a leash when out in public. However in Belvedere California, the law is written just a little differently. The City Council drafted a by-law stating, “No dog shall be in a public place without its master on a leash”. They failed to understand that if the dog owner is on a leash, then the dog does not have to be on one.
One of the goals of many legislators is helping to keep the public safe. In Florida, it is not known what lead to the enactment of this law, but the reality is one might not want to know. In Florida, “Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal”.
Another really strange law comes to us from Connorville, Wisconsin where it is illegal for a man to shoot off a gun while his female partner is having a “sexual orgasm”. Can you imagine the debate that would have been happening when that law was debated?
In Kentucky, it is a law that, “No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she is escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club”.
Often these laws might have had some logic behind them when they were first enacted. However it is equally certain that logic is long lost today.