Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Bonneau is a quiet little town in the “Low Country” of South Carolina. Boasting plenty of southern charm, it covers about 2.9 square miles and sports 354 residents. Not much going on except good red beans and rice and some pleasantly hot summer boat rides on Lake Moultrie. Pretty Mayberry-esque except it’s also the epicenter for a debate on South Carolina’s obscenity laws which prohibit motorists from displaying bumper stickers, decals, or devices depicting “sexual acts, excretory functions, or parts of the human body in an offensive way as determined by contemporary community standards.”
In early July, Bonneau Police Chief Franco Fuda spotted an unusual item adorning the trailer hitch of 65 year-old Virginia Tice’s pickup truck. Tice has a quirky sense of humor and thought it sassy to display a red plastic set of human testicles for her fellow motorists to enjoy. The items sell under the brand names of “Bulls Balls” and “Truck Nutz” and are apparently standard fare in convenience stores of the “Palmetto State.”
Ms. Tice was ticketed with the charge which carries the possibility of a $445 fine but no jail time. The case outraged other residents of the Bonneau.”To me it’s just a personal expression,” John Caddell told the local paper. “My truck’s got power.” For her part, the grandmotherly Tice is embarrassed and not taking calls.
Sheriff Fuda has spoken to Tice’s lawyer, Scott Bischoff, Esq., of the Savage & Savage law firm that took the case on pro bono. In a remarkable display of small town enlightenment and faith in the jury system, the Sheriff asked for a jury to decide the propriety of the novelty. “The statute says obscenity should be determined by community standards,” Fuda said. “I didn’t think it was fair for a judge to decide that.”
Bischoff was equally sanguine if a little amused. “She’s such a sweet lady and she just says ‘I don’t want to pay the fine.’ We’ll let a jury decide whether this is really criminal behaviour. I don’t want to take away from the importance of free speech, but it’s really comical,” he said.
A little of what’s best about small towns–genial folks doing their jobs and the right thing without promise of financial reward. Believing in the system and the good sense of their neighbors to effect justice, all without the savage rhetoric and moralizing that has become the staple of our public discourse. Maybe that “little town” on the Potomac could learn a lesson from Bonneau.
Source: Charleston Post & Courier
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Blouise:
I do approve of some. I’ll elaborate later.
mespo,
To another day … but fair warning … I don’t like censorship laws of any kind mainly because the laws are usually vague leaving the interpretation up to people like Chief Fuda when trying to decide whether or not to issue a citation.
Perhaps we would enjoy that debate assuming you do approve of certain censorship laws.
anon nurse,
They are preparing their papers and emailing … the dinner is on the 21st of August … lot of research being done on the topic … Mike sparked something in them 🙂
Blouise,
I didn’t know… Be well…. both of you. I trust that the Sunday meal discussion will go forward, as planned, and will be an interesting one, I’m sure.
Blouise:
Sorry to hear about Tex. We’ll reserve the debate for another day.
mespo,
there you go mespo … I was not impressed with the Chief’s history either!
Blouise
lotta,
Thanks for the good wishes. It was a reaction to meds which only required a couple of days stay … coming home today. Didn’t require any flashing lights 🙂
@Kenergy599
>>renamed…to the “ignorant white trash, bottom of the gene pool state.”
That’s what we in NC already think of SC. It’s been that way for decades.
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What surprises me most about the case is that a grand jury could pass this through to trial. It seems like a clear first amendment issue, with the local ordinance in clear violation/conflict with the constitution.
However, this trial *might* be a way to get the local ordinance thrown out, so the local LEOs won’t have to pay any attention to it. The grand jury might have been given subtle hints that would result in a trial.
goodnite to the ugly js specially nora hahahaha
This is Ballzy of the Sheriff….
Chief and back child support payments
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/23/chief-held-for-child-support/
So if I walk my un-neutered dog there, does he have to wear pants?
Or watch C-SPAN.
If you don’t want to see human genitalia, don’t look down ……
I guess we all know now that this will lead to a sagging T-bag party later, after the circus leaves town.
I SORTA AGREE WITH FRANK ,,if i want to see genitalia i want it to be in my bed,,,,,period!
long as they don’t drag on the asphalt on a hot day
The sheriff has but put in jail now for contempt of court. Seems he forgot to pay $75,000 in child support.
Blouise, I’m so sorry to hear Tex is back in the hospital, my thoughts are with you.
There’s no difference between this and walking around with a pair of plastic testicles hanging out of your pants, which you can sure bet you’d be arrested for. There are some things that are not acceptable to reasonable people in public, and here we’ve outlawed them for that reason. Not sure whether it’s county or state law here in Tampa, but whichever, it’s good riddance. No child should have to be exposed to this kind of idiocy.