Painful Eye Roll in Book Six: Trying to Hold On 2019

New Iowa Law Issue:

Apparently, the courts have now ruled Disorderly Conduct to be unconstitutional. Seriously. The court said “creating a distressing nuisance or annoyance is far too focused on victims and does not appropriately take into consideration the intent of the Defendant.” MEANING the courts are now claiming, as a matter of law, that if you are drunk as hell or high on Meth… you can’t be convicted of Disorderly Conduct. Oh, sure. You can run around screaming at the top of your lungs at 3 a.m. but as long as you don’t trespass onto someone’s property and you don’t damage any property… Iowa Courts now deem that not criminal IF you are whacked out of your mind. IF Iowa funded substance abuse treatment or mental healthcare… fine. I could be okay with this. We’re saying Get these people help, not criminal charges. But that isn’t what we’re doing. What we’re doing is saying “We’re not going to treat the mentally ill. We’re not going to treat drug addiction. But we’re also not going to protect the community, either.”

Good to know that if I’m too drunk to legally form intent, there’s almost nothing I can do to annoy or harass that is a crime now.