Category:
Law
Law
The Wyld Home for Errant Women
When George Albert Wyld of Australia died on January 23, 1911, his will instructed that his estate should be left to his children, but when they had all died it should then be applied to:"the maintenance of a maternity home to be known as the Wyld Home, and to be available to the extent of its means to young women who have erred for the first time, but under no circumstances for the second occasion."
Wyld's children all passed away by 1949, at which time the executors of his estate applied the remaining money to an "institution superintended by Miss Cocks" adjoining the Methodist Home for Girls at Brighton.
Wyld had five children, but had never married any of their mothers. This probably had something to do with his unusual bequest.
The Adelaide Advertiser - Mar 18, 1949
Posted By: Alex - Sun Feb 14, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Law, 1910s
The minister who didn’t leave
Jackson, Mississippi. 1966: Rev. Dennis McDonald, being a new preacher in town, visited local residents with his two sons to invite them to his church. But he was shocked (shocked!) when he paid a visit to Mrs. Pendergrass and found her sunbathing outside in her birthday suit. Naturally he had to report her to the police, who fined her $50.But Mrs. Pendergrass appealed the fine, and the court took her side, noting that a) she was on her own property, not in public; and b) if the minister was so shocked, why did he hang around at her house for 45 minutes?
You can read the court case here: MRS. ROY C. PENDERGRASS v. STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Kokomo Morning Times - Dec 20, 1966
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 20, 2016 -
Comments (12)
Category: Law, 1960s
Paring knives are not arms
After Wayne Anthony Evans was pulled over for speeding by a Seattle police officer, a paring knife was found in his pocket, and he was arrested for possession of a fixed-blade knife. In his defense, Evans argued that the Seattle municipal code banning fixed-blade knifes violated his constitutional right to bear arms.
Not so, the Washington Supreme Court recently decided. It didn't consider the constitutionality of the municipal code itself, but (looking narrowly at the facts of this specific case) decided that there was no historical evidence that paring knives are "arms." Therefore, they can be banned.
we hold that not all knives are constitutionally protected arms and that Evans does not demonstrate that his paring knife is an "arm" as defined under our state or federal constitution.
If Evans had been carrying a bayonet, perhaps the outcome of the case would have been different.
via Wash Post
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 04, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Law, Weapons
Skeet Shoot
So, as it turns out, its illegal to shoot down a drone even if its spying on you. Same penalty as shooting at an airplane.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Dec 26, 2015 -
Comments (11)
Category: Drones, Law
Litigation Through Poetry: Or, Texas Is Hell
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 22, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Law, Nature, Regionalism, Religion, Poetry, 1900s
Indiana legalizes sawed off shotguns
Beginning July 1st we can own one as long as it is manufacture made. Mine is already ordered.
Posted By: BrokeDad - Sat Jun 27, 2015 -
Comments (4)
Category: Guns, Law
Tax Per Mile
Oregon is running a voluntary per mile travel tax instead of the current per gallon standard. The volunteers do not have to pay the gas tax while participating in the study.
Does anyone really believe the gas tax will go away if the per mile tax is enacted? Does any tax ever go away once it is put in place? So if this goes through we may as well expect both.
What a great way to control travel, especially for the poor. This idea is a greater threat to personal liberty than the Patriot Act. It is much easier to control a non-moving populace.
Posted By: Alex - Wed May 20, 2015 -
Comments (14)
Category: Government, Regulations, Law, Motor Vehicles, Cars, More Things To Worry About
Attorney Larry L. Archie
Via a chain of transmission that extends through our own Chuck Shepherd and longtime WU-vie Professor Music, we get the astonishing picture above, the kind of advert favored by Attorney Larry L. Archie.
Posted By: Paul - Thu May 07, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Eccentrics, Law, Advertising
Noise Complaint
However, after reviewing the complaint (and possibly swayed by all the media attention the case was getting in Canada) the city cancelled the fine. [National Post]
Posted By: Alex - Mon May 04, 2015 -
Comments (6)
Category: Law
Is cannibalism illegal?
Turns out there are no laws in the U.S. specifically outlawing cannibalism, except in Idaho, which has this statute on the books:TITLE 18
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
CHAPTER 50
MAYHEM
18-5003. CANNIBALISM DEFINED -- PUNISHMENT. (1) Any person who wilfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism.
(2) It shall be an affirmative defense to a violation of the provisions of this section that the action was taken under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.
(3) Cannibalism is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding fourteen (14) years.
CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS
CHAPTER 50
MAYHEM
18-5003. CANNIBALISM DEFINED -- PUNISHMENT. (1) Any person who wilfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism.
(2) It shall be an affirmative defense to a violation of the provisions of this section that the action was taken under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.
(3) Cannibalism is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding fourteen (14) years.
What's going on in Idaho that inspired this law? A 2011 article in the Journal of Law and Social Deviance explains:
In Idaho, anthropophagy (called cannibalism by statute) is illegal. The statute makes it an offense to drink human blood or consume human flesh, punishable by up to fourteen years in prison. The law was conceived in 1990 as a response to fears that ritualized practices involving sexual abuse and torture of minors would include anthropophagy. The legislators criminalized the consumption of human blood and flesh out of a concern that children would be sacrificed, eaten, or forced to consume the tissue of murdered or necrotic bodies during ritual practices.
But what about placenta-eating (a practice that's been discussed a number of times here on WU)? Wouldn't the Idaho statute make this practice illegal? Yes, technically it would. But the same article argues that if Idaho ever tried to send anyone to prison for placenta eating (or any other non-harmful, consensual form of cannibalism — ingesting blood, etc.), their statute would probably be ruled unconstitutional as it violates a fundamental "right to privacy."
Posted By: Alex - Sat May 02, 2015 -
Comments (9)
Category: Food, Law
| Who We Are |
|---|
| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |