Topic: 'Three Stooges' Action Lands Boy in Court

[Stoop]

I typed in “Three stooges” into google news, since i didn't have anything better to do, and I was amazed with the articles I found. Here’s one of them:

'Three Stooges' Action Lands Boy in Court
The Associated Press
Sunday, August 7, 2005; 10:12 PM
GOLD HILL, Ore. -- A 15-year-old boy who pinched and twisted the nipples of a 13-year-old has been sentenced to three days of community service for harassment.

David Thumler, 15, said the "titty-twister" was just horseplay. The mother of 13-year-old Matthew Cox counters that the incident was humiliating for her son, who saw it as an assault from an older, bigger bully.

"They're not friends," she said. "If he was my son's friend, it would be a different thing," said Bobby Cox.
In addition to the community service, Thumler has been ordered to pay a $67 fine and the misdemeanor has been placed on his permanent record. He can request to have it removed when he turns 18.
Ken Chapman, a Jackson County juvenile probation supervisor, said Oregon law defines physical harassment as "offensive physical touching."

That includes such adolescent antics as "wet-willies," "wedgies," "swirlies," "noogies" and all other forms of "Three Stooges" behavior, Chapman said.

According to David, the two boys were in line at a local deli when Matthew jokingly made an embarrassing remark to the female clerk about David. In retaliation, David counterattacked with the "titty-twister," the 15-year-old said.

"It's a thing of camaraderie," David said. "If he's going to assume our friendship is on that level, then so am I."

A lawyer hired by the 15-year-old's family called the juvenile court's actions "Orwellian."
"They call this 'baby assault,'" said Michael Kellington, a criminal defense attorney in Medford, hired by the family.

Even Bobby Cox said she was surprised to hear that her husbands' call to Gold Hill police resulted in court time for the boy. "Nobody informed me it would be a full-blown trial," she said.
According to Kellington, the incident was blown out of proportion in part because David's mother refused to let him show up for an initial hearing in juvenile court. Christine Alford, David's mother, said she did not let her son attend the hearing because she had seen photos of teenagers in handcuffs on the county's Web site.

Kellington said that Alford's refusal to let David go upped the ante and brought down "unfair, Draconian measures" upon her son. What should have been a discussion between first-time-offender and a representative of the juvenile justice system became a court trial.

"The mom is understandably fearful," said Kellington. "You shouldn't retaliate for the decision of a parent upon the child."

Chapman, the juvenile probation supervisor, said the mother should have known better.

"'Hearing' doesn't mean 'taking into custody,'" he said. "When we take someone into custody, we don't make appointments. If there's a consequence for not coming in informally, well, that's one they chose."

 

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/07/AR2005080700994.html


I didn’t know that a “titty-twister” (*giggle*) was considered a form of Three stooges behavior. But I guess anything physical will qualify.
 :laughing1:

[titmouse]

That includes such adolescent antics as "wet-willies," "wedgies," "swirlies," "noogies" and all other forms of "Three Stooges" behavior


Leave it up to the American Court system to &%* up another interpretation.....in the 190
shorts i have never seen the above..........tittie twisters...give the Stooges credit will ya.....american justice system=assholes.........take off your hat...raise your right hand!

[xraffle]

That includes such adolescent antics as "wet-willies," "wedgies," "swirlies," "noogies" and all other forms of "Three Stooges" behavior


Leave it up to the American Court system to &%* up another interpretation.....in the 190
shorts i have never seen the above..........tittie twisters...give the Stooges credit will ya.....american justice system=assholes.........take off your hat...raise your right hand!

Yeah, they got the stooges all wrong.

[Dunrobin]

I imagine most of you realize that I'm not prone to swearing much in my posts, but Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ!  On top of the unforgiveable (and malicious) slam against the Stooges and their fans - which several of you have already noted - there's quite a few things in this article that piss me off.

In addition to the community service, Thumler has been ordered to pay a $67 fine and the misdemeanor has been placed on his permanent record. He can request to have it removed when he turns 18.

At least up through the time that I was a kid, any record you may have had as a juvenille was automatically sealed when you became an adult, unless you had been tried as an adult.  These days, though, you'll have to beg your masters for that - and there's a damn good chance that they'll refuse.

Ken Chapman, a Jackson County juvenile probation supervisor, said Oregon law defines physical harassment as "offensive physical touching."

What a subjective and open-ended definition.  I'm offended by all of the physical jostling I get when I ride on a city bus or subway.  Does this mean I get to file charges against everyone who touches me - or better yet, can I sue the city for "creating the conditions" to led to the "offensive physical touching"?

Kellington said that Alford's refusal to let David go upped the ante and brought down "unfair, Draconian measures" upon her son. What should have been a discussion between first-time-offender and a representative of the juvenile justice system became a court trial.

"The mom is understandably fearful," said Kellington. "You shouldn't retaliate for the decision of a parent upon the child."

Chapman, the juvenile probation supervisor, said the mother should have known better.

"'Hearing' doesn't mean 'taking into custody,'" he said. "When we take someone into custody, we don't make appointments. If there's a consequence for not coming in informally, well, that's one they chose."

This Chapman character is a typical government lackey - a hypocritical liar.  Anyone who actually pays attention to what has been going on throughout the United States knows better; they do exactly that sort of crap all of the time.  The boy's mother had every reason to be fearful.

Once upon a time - and not very long ago - people in this country had enough civility to talk to each other, instead of just automatically sending for the government goons. If the older kid was continously bullying the other one, it might be a somewhat different story, but I doubt that was the case.  If there was really anything to it, that would have been brought up in the trial - and consequently in the story - but there is nothing beyond a vague insinuation from the "victim's" mother.  And if this was a fist time incident between the kids, while the hell didn't the offended parents just go talk with the other kid's parents?

This common knee jerk reaction of "calling the cops" over the least little thing disgusts me.  No wonder the government  thugs think they have a right to stick their noses into everyne's business these days.

[Pilsner Panther]

Hey Rob, I knew this story would get a rise out of you, as soon as I saw it!

I'm bent out of shape by it too, not only for most of the same reasons you are, but some additional ones, too. Mainly, that's it's lousy journalism.

"That includes such adolescent antics as "wet-willies," "wedgies," "swirlies," "noogies" and all other forms of "Three Stooges" behavior (...)"[/b]

Titmouse and xraffle made the point first: none of these stunts were ever practiced by the Stooges (at least not on film), especially the "titty-twist." Come to think of it, that would have been funny if Moe had done it to Larry or Curly, but the fact is that he never did. What I'm getting at is, if you're going to write an article for publication, at least research the goddamned subject, if you don't happen to know anything about it!

I've spent, literally, days (and with research assistants to help me) doing fact-checking at the City Planning Commission and other government agencies, doing hard research before submitting an article for publication— and this article is a lot of slop-work by a "journalist" who must be fresh off a high school newspaper.

If you're going to be a professional, you have to be (dare I say it?), professional!

 

"Press... press... pull!"