Rosa Parks among many other civil rights leaders were arrested to bring proper attention to their rights and injustices. More naturists/nudists need to overcome the conditioning/programming weve been bombarded with and assaulted by all our lives.
There are zealots out there, but any SMART ARTICULATE non-violent person (with a good ethical lawyer or not) can beat the serious charges and can usually walk without a lasting sentence above a simple misdemeanor traffic ticket-level penalty. Technically, the US Constitution is on our side when it comes to non-violent freedoms; folks have just been conditioned to be too timid to be free.
On April 2, 2010, singer/songwriter/producer/director Erykah Badu was charged with disorderly conduct for appearing nude in Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas while filming the social-political, performance art, self-directed music video for "Window Seat". No witnesses called police at the time of the incident, but the Dallas Police Department actively sought witnesses after the release of the video. Sgt. Warren Mitchell said the decision to cite Badu for a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 came after witness Ida Espinosa, 32, of Vernon, offered a sworn statement to police Thursday, April 1. Espinosa declined to comment to The Associated Press. On April 28, 2010, Badu pleaded not guilty rather than paying the fee by mail. On August 13, she paid the $500 ticket and began a term of six months' probation.
Had another encounter with the law. This time I had just stepped from the shower and heard a knock on the door. I wrapped a towel around me and went to answer it. It was the DNR officer and he proceeded to give me a warning for trespassing in the woods adjoining my property. A new owner had purchased it and put some game cams up to monitor wildlife. He had spotted me roaming around. The officer was very polite about it. If the new owner had mentioned to the officer I was nude , the officer made no mention of it to me , nor was it noted on the written warning I have since apologized to the new owner, a 20 something Amish guy. He accepted my apology
I was never arrested. But many years ago a friend and I were hassled by a ranger when we were sunbathing nude in the dunes above the beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. He sprang on us suddenly. As we scrambled into our shorts he paced back and forth talking on his walkie talkie as if reporting us. Asked us some questions about whether we saw a naked guy flaunting himself. I don't think his intent was to arrest, just scare us into our clothes.
Nope. We had a neighbor that was staying in a short term rental next door to us when we lived in Florida call once. The houses were about 15-20 feet apart but I put up a fence around the pool in the backyard as my first project. I was working on the landscaping in the backyard that was fenced and I heard a snide comment from the next door neighbors pool. I looked over that way as in the raised deck area I could just barely see over the fence and this woman in her 60's was walking back into the house. From where she was at you would have to try and look though the cracks in the fence boards to see anything. We had a fence and large vines and shrubs covering most of it. A little while later I saw a police car parked out front. He walked around that house and I was still working outside. He never came to my door but awhile later he left. Never heard anything about it. I'm sure it was related. I took every precaution to create a private are to not be seen. Having different renters all the time you can't be to safe. Later that week I talked with someone that I knew that worked for the police department and he told me that with the fence and plants that if anything the neighbor would have been at fault for trying to see. Never had another problem.
My claim to fame:https://oaoa.hawaii.gov/jud/22489sdo.htmI'm happy to say the beach is still in use, and largely ignored by HPD. Thanks to NAC and TNS for partially funding the defense.John aka cobeachbum
Here's the Kalama decision
https://oaoa.hawaii.gov/jud/22457.htm
John aka cobeachbum