Pa. woman faces jail, fine for shouting profanities in her own home


Updated: 5:35 p.m. CT Oct 16, 2007

SCRANTON, Pa. - A Scranton woman who admitted shouted profanities at her overflowing toilet within earshot of a neighbor was cited for disorderly conduct, authorities said.

Dawn Herb could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I was in my house. It’s not like I was outside or drunk,” Herb told The Times-Tribune of Scranton. “The toilet was overflowing and leaking down into the kitchen and I was yelling (for my daughter) to get the mop.”

Herb doesn’t recall exactly what she said, but she admitted letting more than a few choice words fly near an open bathroom window Thursday night.

Her next-door neighbor, a city police officer who was off-duty at the time, asked her to keep it down, police said. When she continued, the officer called police.

Mary Catherine Roper, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Philadelphia, took issue with the citation.

“You can’t prosecute somebody for swearing at a cop or a toilet,” she said.

That's a bunch of BS!

Who goes to jail for cursing and in their own home, in that case I know a few people that should be under the jail including myself!
[Edited 10/19/07 1:38am]

you interviewed Prince

jami0mckay said:

Well that interview sounded like it would have been in the early 80's. Prince was cursing then too, so he should be under the jail right along with me!

KidaDynamite said:

If my neighbors heard me yelling at an over flowing toilet they would be straight around to help.
There must be a feud going on for him to even be bothered wasting all that time