Rose Hall man learns using indecent language is illegal

Jeremy Stapleton did not know that he was breaking the law when he used indecent language, as according to him, police officers use it, too.{{more}}

Stapleton, a resident of Rose Hall, was brought before Chief Magistrate Sonya Young on Monday, July13, 2009, at the Serious Offences Court and answered to four charges. He was charged with using threatening language, using indecent language, resisting the arrest and assaulting Police Officer PC 802 Peter Samuel. Stapleton pleaded guilty to the use of indecent language and not guilty to the other charges.

While giving his guilty plea, Stapleton gave an amusing explanation to the court, saying that he thought that since the police officers were using indecent language towards him, it wasn’t wrong for him to use it as well. “I thought it was legal,” he said. Facts revealed in court are that Stapleton was at the Rose Hall Police Station when he used the indecent language at the police officer and was arrested after he was told of the offence.

Stapleton said that he had been held at the police station and was not allowed to take a shower. He added that the police officers continually dared him to use a bad word. “I’m not that kinda person to be cursing, cursing!” he told the Magistrate.

Responding to Stapleton, Chief Magistrate Young told him that he would not be excused for his actions, as ignorance of the law is no excuse. Magistrate Young said that she hates to think that the police officers were also using “dirty words”. Young added that the aggravating factor was that Stapleton was in a police station when the offence was committed.

Stapleton was fined $250 to be paid forthwith or one month imprisonment. For the other charges to which he pleaded not guilty, he was granted composite bail of $700 with one surety. His next court date is Thursday, July16, 2009, at the Chateaubelair Court.(OS)