Weird USA State Laws?

Question

I have heard of a lot of US States that have very strange and stupid laws that are only illegal in that state. Can anyone name any??

Answer 1

You can't walk down the streets in Kentucy with an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

Answer 2

In Florida, until 1976, it was illegal to sell alcohol to an Indian or a known homosexual. Until that time, it was also illegal to marry someone who was 1/8 black. Any other fraction of black heritage was legal.

In Vermont, it's illegal to eat SALTED peanuts in a church.

In Georgia a few years back, a husband was jailed (for quite some time) after admitting during divorce proceedings that he performed oral sex on his wife.

There are seven states that prohibit the sale of any device used to stimulate the genitals: Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia.

In Boston (this was still on the books in the 70s, don't know if it still is), kissing a woman in public three times in one week was seen as a proposal of marriage and if the man failed to marry, the woman could sue for breech of contract.

In either North Dakota or Montana, if two trains approach each other on the same track, each must come to a complete stop and neither may move until the other is gone.

In San Francisco, it's illegal to shoot whales from a moving streetcar. (It's hard to imagine that this was once a problem, but with all the activists, it would be impossible to ever repeal this one.)

Answer 3

I count quantity 37 states that have the loss of life penalty, despite the fact that not all have used it. by using fact the loss of life penalty got here into use back after countless years interior the 1970's the only human beings accomplished have been for homicide. States are given an option to apply the loss of life penalty or different styles of punishment. some want to impose existence without probability of parole. The loss of life penalty attracts a lot of interest, regardless of if that's somewhat used in basic terms hardly interior the U.S. I in many instances help its use if the crime justifies it. i could be the two happy if different styles of punishment have been used to interchange it. regrettably we've had particularly some situations wherein convicted murderers have been imprisoned, paroled, and murdered back. i could be happy with a severe noncapital punishment, consisting of imprisonment at not hardship-free hard artwork, if the convicted assassin have been prevented from ever being released.

Answer 4

HQ3 has it correct about most of the laws being made up or taken out of context. For example, the so called law about it being a hanging offense in Texas to steal cattle is made up. The Penal Code, chapter 31.03 covers theft and makes no mention of a death penalty at all, with the largest penalty being life in prison for thefts over $200,000 in value. That is a lot of cattle. Of course, the theft of livestock is specifically mentioned as a third degree felony if it is more than 10 head. That is a max penalty of 20 years in jail.

The so called law on wire cutters is also taken out of context. It is illegal in Texas (Chapter 16.01) to possess anything that is used to help commit a crime. In other words, it is illegal to have tools to help you break into someplace with the intent to use them in that fashion. This includes wire cutters if you are intending to use them to cut a fence illegally. If you are using them to cut wires while working on an electric project, possession of wire cutters is not illegal and I have several different types in my tool box.

If you want a real law from Texas, that may be considered as weird or unusual, check chapter 43.23 on obscenity. It is a felony in Texas for any one person to possess six or more obscene devices. An obscene device is legally defined as " a device including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs".

Answer 5

In Phoenix, Arizona, you can't walk through a hotel lobby with spurs on.

In California, a law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing.

In Utah, daylight must be visible between dancing couples.

In Michigan, it is against the law for a lady to lift her skirt more than 6 inches while walking through a mud puddle.

In North Carolina, it is against the law for a rabbit to race down the street.

In Georgia, it's against the law to spread a false rumor.

In West Virginia, one can't cook sauerkraut or cabbage due to the odors and the offense is subject to imprisonment.

In Missouri, a man must have a permit to shave.

The law states that more than 3000 sheep cannot be herded down Hollywood Blvd. at any one time.

In Texas, it is still a "hanging offense" to steal cattle.

Answer 6

the USA it's self, it's illegal for this huge powerful country 2 have a law abiding honest government, it's rotten 2 the core, now surely that's illegal

Answer 7

It used to be illegal to ride a horse down a street if you were drunk in Arizona. Now they changed it back because they figured the horse knew the way home if the rider passed out.

Answer 8

I can't think of any on the books now, but a couple of years ago when they rewrote the sex offense statutes (Chapter 566 of the Missouri Statutes, if you are interested) they left out a prohibition on bestiality. So, for a brief time it was legal to have sex with an animal in Missouri.

In one case, I remember, an offender was charged with animal abuse because he used duct tape to restrain the dog. Very ugly.

Answer 9

For my state I've read...

No person shall pretend to sleep on a bench on the boardwalk.

(Down state) It is illegal to wear pants that are "firm fitting" around the waist.

Getting married on a dare is grounds for an annulment.

Answer 10

Ban on cell phones while driving a car. It is illegal to talk to somebody on the phone while driving, but it's not illegal to talk to somebody who is in the vehicle with you. The conversation is still just as distracting weather you are talking to them on a phone or in person.

Answer 11

I have asked this question before, received some good answers and did some good research on my own:
Check it out at:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhSfb.WFx06fxLLj7xVrR9fsy6IX?qid=20060718173107AAChvmL

In short half the "weird laws" are completely made up, and the second half are normal laws that make sense but are taken out of context.