Don't get excited.
quote:NUMIDIA -- Supervisors unanimously passed a township ordinance banning public nudity Thursday night, even going so far as to prohibit erections in public.
The law seeks to prevent, among other things, "the showing of covered male genitals in a discernible turgid state."
Township lawyer Todd Kerstetter, though, said the law wouldn't apply to "normal occurrences."
"We're not going to have a problem with a guy walking down the street and the police chief pulling him over for it," said Kerstetter.
Giving an example of an enforceable situation, Kerstetter described a play he saw in college in which a piece of wood under a sheet was used to simulate a character's erection.
Such a performance would violate Locust's new law, said Kerstetter. A normal occurrence without attention called to it would not.
"This is not meant to be a tricky term, or give our police officers difficulty in enforcing the law," said Kerstetter.
Before the vote, Supervisor Dennis Sharrow suggested removing the word "covered" from the ordinance.
Kerstetter said the inclusion of covered male genitals in legal definitions of nudity has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
"It meant to go a little further to expand the definition of nudity," said Kerstetter.
Among other things the new ordinance outlaws in public are sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct, appearing nude and fondling genitals.
Children younger than 10 and women who are breast-feeding infants are exempt from the law.
Violators could be fined $300, given 90 days in jail or both.
The ordinance was not prompted by any incident, nor have any plans been proposed to bring exotic dancers or similar entertainment into Locust, said Kerstetter.
"The supervisors are taking a pro-active approach to protect the health, safety and morals of the community," he said.
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