# Kissing your husband while black? Not if the LAPD can help it. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 14, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492 "2014-09-14T19:21:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 43
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/841 "2014-09-17T19:00:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > So, anyway, who volunteers to go down to the Ramsey County clerk’s office and acquire some blueprints of the skyway and specific measurements of what areas and easements are the property of whom, then conduct a spatial analysis based on the video evidence to determine whose property the suspect was standing in at what precise moments in time, so we can settle this? > > …Anyone? You can feel free, but based on the cites, no one seems to dispute that he was in a public part of the skyway when the police arrived. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/842 "2014-09-17T19:02:52Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > You can feel free, but based on the cites, no one seems to dispute that he was in a public part of the skyway when the police arrived. The police certainly did. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/843 "2014-09-17T19:03:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > You can feel free, but based on the cites, no one seems to dispute that he was in a public part of the skyway when the police arrived. Yes. I’m looking for a cite that puts him on private property when the police arrived. Who has one? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/844 "2014-09-17T19:03:39Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The police certainly did. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/845 "2014-09-17T19:08:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Cite? The fact that they arrested him for trespassing on private property. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/846 "2014-09-17T19:08:37Z")
The authority-worshipping **Smapti** seems to be most beholden to his own rectum these days, considering the uncited and counterfactual (and quickly abandoned when challenged) nature of most of his posts lately. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/847 "2014-09-17T19:09:40Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The fact that they arrested him for trespassing on private property. That’s evidence that he was arrested, but not evidence of where he was when he was arrested – especially considering that the charges were dropped. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/848 "2014-09-17T19:10:18Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That’s evidence that he was arrested, but not evidence of where he was when he was arrested – especially considering that the charges were dropped. It’s clear that the charges weren’t dropped based on their merits. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/849 "2014-09-17T19:10:42Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s clear that the charges weren’t dropped based on their merits. No, it’s pretty clear that they were. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/850 "2014-09-17T19:11:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Minnesota law includes among the definitions of disorderly conduct “engaging in offensive, obscene, abusive, boisterous, or noisy conduct or in offensive, obscene, or abusive language tending reasonably to arouse alarm, anger, or resentment in others.” > > Which, as can be seen in his own video of the incident, is not an inaccurate description of his behavior. \*After \*the cops arrived and shoved him against a wall, certainly. But you might maybe see how the public would not be served by establishing a precedent of police officers manhandling random people, then charging them with disorderly conduct should they complain or curse. Kind of like they don’t get to punch a guy in the face then arrest him for assaulting a police officer and breaking the officer’s hand with his cheekbone. Well, maybe \*you \*wouldn’t, come to think of it. But you’re a fascist idiot. It is known. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/851 "2014-09-17T19:11:34Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No, it’s pretty clear that they were. Cite that they were dropped based on their merits? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/852 "2014-09-17T19:12:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Cite that they were dropped based on their merits? Already been cited – the statement of the St. Paul City Attorney. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/853 "2014-09-17T19:12:37Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Already been cited – the statement of the St. Paul City Attorney. The St. Paul City Attorney made no such statement. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/854 "2014-09-17T19:15:40Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The St. Paul City Attorney made no such statement. Yes she did. She said “Our job as prosecutors is to determine whether those elements of a crime are present to prove to a jury, and we just didn’t have that here.” They didn’t have the elements of the crime present to prove to a jury. So they were dropped on their merits. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/855 "2014-09-17T19:16:08Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Yes she did. She said “Our job as prosecutors is to determine whether those elements of a crime are present to prove to a jury, and we just didn’t have that here.” They didn’t have the elements of the crime present to prove to a jury. So they were dropped on their merits. “We didn’t think we could prove it to a jury” is not synonymous with “the charge was meritless”. The city of Los Angeles couldn’t prove to a jury that OJ Simpson was a murderer - does that mean there was no merit to the charge? Or maybe you think OJ was just a kind innocent guy who the police decided to hassle because he was black. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/856 "2014-09-17T19:17:28Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “We didn’t think we could prove it to a jury” is not synonymous with “the charge was meritless”. It means its merits were not sufficient – therefore it was dropped, based on its merits. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/857 "2014-09-17T19:19:12Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It means its merits were not sufficient – therefore it was dropped, based on its merits. No, it means they didn’t think they could get a conviction, presumably because the defense would have relied on uncertainty and conjecture about exactly where the suspect was standing, much as you now are. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/858 "2014-09-17T19:20:05Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > No, it means they didn’t think they could get a conviction. Because of its merits. Insufficient merits. It was dropped on its merits. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/859 "2014-09-17T19:21:13Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > No, it means they didn’t think they could get a conviction, presumably because the defense would have relied on uncertainty and conjecture about exactly where the suspect was standing, much as you now are. No one has disputed where he was standing. The police have not disputed Lollie’s statements about where was standing. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492/860 "2014-09-17T19:21:15Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Because of its merits. Insufficient merits. It was dropped on its merits. Nope. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492.md?page=42) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kissing-your-husband-while-black-not-if-the-lapd-can-help-it/698492.md?page=44)