LIVING: Should A Nasty Tee Land You In Jail?

Posted 2010/05/07 14:56:33
Read all 775 opinions

They say clothes don't make a man, but having a dirty word on a T-shirt will land you a 48-hour stay in jail.

19-year old Jennifer LaPenta was arrested and sentenced to 48 hours in jail for wearing a T-shirt into court (as a spectator) that read: “I own the p**sy, so I make the rules.”

The Illinois teen was at the gym when a friend asked for a ride to the courthouse. When LaPenta — dressed in the t-shirt and sweatpants — escorted her friend in the courthouse, Associate Judge Helen Rozenburg had officers cuff her. Judge Rozenberg had LaPenta on contempt, saying the t-shirt slogan was inappropriate for court.

LaPenta begged to differ. She told a local paper that the ordeal was humiliating. "They should be out looking for people who are breaking the law — not arresting someone wearing a T-shirt." LaPenta’s lawyer said she may bring a civil suit but first will have a sit down with Judge Rozenburg.

Was the teen's shirt offensive as a visitor to the courts or cranky judge didn't eat breakfast?

rozenburg teens shirt offensive visitor courts cranky judge eat breakfast

POLL

+24

beachbum 2010/05/07 15:05:22

+15
Totally inappropriate thing to wear into a court room - she should have had more respect, and at least turned the T-shirt inside out.

One of the big problems today is the lack of respect that has crept into this culture. There is a time and place for everything...if she wants to wear that kind of shirt, that's fine, but that was not the time or the place.
>> See Replies

RachealEdney 2010/05/13 03:06:13

+1
im sry but thats the stupidest thing i ever heard. 48 hrs. in jail for wearing a t-shirt that says that. its disrespectful a little, but its not that serious. You really think jail is gunna make sumone not wear shirts likr that into court....please get real

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Matt 2010/05/11 09:12:07

+1
maybe she will think twice before wearing a vulgar tshirt
Guess she doesn't make the rules after all :)

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gunner 2010/05/11 03:14:40

At least she wore pants. We actually had a man walk into a local store a few years back with only a shirt and shoes on. He obeyed the sign. The police were called and he played dumb and got off scott free.

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Nancy 2010/05/10 23:14:21

did anyone give her the opportunity to leave the room before CUFFING her?

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jacose 2010/05/10 19:44:54

+1
she should have been given 48 hours for being so damn ugly...but even someone as crude as i am know better than to wear things in public (much less a court room) that would be offensive to anybody

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Revolut... to jacose 2010/05/10 20:50:33

+1
You have manners, that's why.

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Revolutionary Girl 2010/05/10 19:17:24

+1
LOL So much for the expression on her shirt, looks like she lost and someone else made the rules for her.

She is disrespectful to the court and deserves to be punished...while we have rights, it doesn't mean we can push the envelope as far as we can and expect there to not be repercussions.

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jacose to Revolut... 2010/05/10 19:45:30

+1
you tell them, Girl

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Revolut... to jacose 2010/05/10 20:51:24

+1
:)

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Jenny 2010/05/10 18:52:47

+1
I guess technically it was offensive for court but that was no reason for arrest. They could've just asked her to leave. I have never heard of someone getting arrested for a shirt. That's outrageous.

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beachbum to Jenny 2010/05/12 08:19:51

I'm thinking she probably mouthed off to the judge..........if that's what happened, then the judge had every right. I figure there is more to the story than just the info posted.

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FoxFairy 2010/05/10 16:41:25

Oh yeah in most cases I am totally for freedom of speech but, if this girl is stupid enough to wear this shirt to court than she deserves to have the book thrown at her. I mean at the very least she could have put a jacket over it.

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cuzzywuzzy 2010/05/10 16:15:17

I don't know what is the best way of handling little snots like this, but it does look to me like she could do a better job of maintaining her property.

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jimiwhitten 2010/05/10 15:21:25

Inappropriate but hardly justifies 48 hours in jail... The judge should have told her to wait elsewhere...

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ray 2010/05/10 15:15:53

+1
To many young people have an entitlement mentality, showing "attitude" is cool. Disrespect of all things, people, location, lack of manner and decorum, regardless of time and place. Vulgar in speech and action. Believing them selves above judgment and free to do say or behave as they see fit at all times and places. The judge has the prerogative to summarily decide contempt without a lengthy debate.

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jamdeeder 2010/05/10 15:00:47

+1
make her the example. Maybe she, and others like her, will think twice when going to what is concidered a respectable place. It seems that this is the entire problem with our Country today, the wholesale lack of respect: for parents, for authority, for self! We live in a free country, but that does not mean freedom to the exclusion of common decency, and people like this will help the government relieve us of the freedom we cherish by showing the average citizen has NO common sense!

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!rainbowish:) 2010/05/10 14:29:52

+1
well I think she can wear whatever she wants we have that freedom but wearing that church to court was really innapropiate..she should have respected the court.....and yeah

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dzynrbob 2010/05/10 14:13:20

+1
I can't think of a better place than a court of law for this t-shirt. A lot of folks get screwed there.

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Nancy to dzynrbob 2010/05/10 23:17:46 (edited)

+2
I'd like this on a t-shirt}

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dzynrbob to Nancy 2010/05/11 07:03:47

That's excellent, Nancy!

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