This bathroom pick up should not be a crime!

Jarod

Jarod

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Boca Episcopal priest nabbed in sex sting resigns
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By Kevin Deutsch

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, September 10, 2007

BOCA RATON — A priest charged with soliciting sex in North Carolina has resigned from his job as director of youth ministry at St. Gregory's Episcopal Church.

The Rev. Michael Royce Penland, 46, was busted June 28 during a sting that focused on city park restrooms in Waynesville, N.C. Police officially charged him with "solicitation for crimes against nature" after he allegedly followed a male undercover officer into the bathroom, asked him if he could go home and have sex with him and tried to follow him home in his car.

Penland told a Waynesville, N.C., police detective he'd started participating in "homosexual activity" about five years ago, according to a police report. He said his wife of 17 years did not know about his behavior. The charge against Penland is a misdemeanor. He received a citation and is scheduled to appear in Haywood County court this week. The Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida has suspended him from all duties.

The Rev. Andrew Sherman, who heads the approximately 1,000-member congregation at St. Gregory's, said Penland resigned Saturday. "There's been an overwhelming sense of prayer and support and concern for Michael and his family as they go through this," Sherman said this afternoon. "And a sense of sadness that this happened."
 
Change the laws then.

I think the majority of people in our "democracy" support the law the guy was arrested under. That may change in the future, but this is now.

I wonder how an investigation as dealings with the youth will turn out. Hopefully he kept it among consenting adults.

And why does the preacher of his church feel sadness about it ?
 
What did he do that was illegal? He didn't ask to pay for it, he simply asked if they could go somewhere private. What part of the law did he break?
 
It is apparently illegal to solicit gay sex in park restrooms.
That is my assumption. My area/state has that law.
 
uscitizen said:
Change the laws then.

I think the majority of people in our "democracy" support the law the guy was arrested under. That may change in the future, but this is now.

I wonder how an investigation as dealings with the youth will turn out. Hopefully he kept it among consenting adults.

And why does the preacher of his church feel sadness about it ?
Click to expand...

"Police officially charged him with "solicitation for crimes against nature"

I do not support that law usc. It states that the guy asked the other guy if he wanted to go somewhere private with him to have sex. That is no crime, and can't even be stretched into one like people did with the Craig thing, by saying that he was soliticing to have a sex act take place in a public spot.

Wow, this is so nazi like, they must be kidding me.
 
uscitizen said:
It is apparently illegal to solicit gay sex in park restrooms.
That is my assumption. My area/state has that law.
Click to expand...

It's illegal where you live to ask a member of the same sex to go home and f you?

It shouldn't be. It's not illegal for heteros to ask that. God knows.
 
Darla said:
"Police officially charged him with "solicitation for crimes against nature"

I do not support that law usc. It states that the guy asked the other guy if he wanted to go somewhere private with him to have sex. That is no crime, and can't even be stretched into one like people did with the Craig thing, by saying that he was soliticing to have a sex act take place in a public spot.

Wow, this is so nazi like, they must be kidding me.
Click to expand...

I did not say that I support the law either. Just that most of our society does and have made laws against it. that will likely change in the future, but for now...
We live in the now. He broke the law.

Can we as individuals decide what laws to ignore and expect no consequences ?
 
Darla said:
It's illegal where you live to ask a member of the same sex to go home and f you?

It shouldn't be. It's not illegal for heteros to ask that. God knows.
Click to expand...

As in my other post, I agree, but it is the law in many places, esp in the bible belt.
I am saying we need to change the law. But realistically I cannot see it happening in the near future.
 
Darla said:
It's illegal where you live to ask a member of the same sex to go home and f you?

It shouldn't be. It's not illegal for heteros to ask that. God knows.
Click to expand...
It is not illegal for members of the same sex to have sex so it can't be illegal to try to pick up someone. That law was struck down sodomy laws but Kennedy's opinion basically strikes down all laws against private sexual activity and a law that punishes "crimes against nature" do just that. He should fight the arrest and the charges. There was no attempt to have sex in public. Private sexual conduct is protected.
 
I agree he should fight it, but as it appears to be against his religious beliefs. he will probably play the martyr.
 
Here is the full decision in Lawrence and Gardner v. Texas which strikes down sodomy laws. Even if this guy lost at every appeal it would find its way back to the USSC and they would no doubt grant cert and then strike down North Carolina's law.
 
uscitizen said:
It is apparently illegal to solicit gay sex in park restrooms.
That is my assumption. My area/state has that law.
Click to expand...

It does?

I wonder if we do. It could probably easily be appealed, using Lawrence vs. Texas as precedent, and right to privacy, but still, it sounds like one of those blue laws that just kind of stuck on the books, and no one in the south was brave enough to actually go up and challenge it.

Which is one reason I think laws should automatically expire after a set period of time. It would require those kinds of people to actually go up and re-propose the law again, rather than hiding behind the fact that it's already a law and just hope it doesn't raise many eyebrows.
 
Why was POLICE MANPOWER actually deliberately being devoted to this kind of trivial stuff whenever people are out there being murdered, robbed, and raped? For God's sake.
 
Yep the police in Lexington KY caught an assortment of Gay guys at a local park. At least one was a boy scout leader and many were indulging in sex on the premises. But not all.

You can get one struck down, but like abortion foes the anti gays will just get another one made. It is good for votes in the bible belt.
 
Watermark said:
Why was POLICE MANPOWER actually deliberately being devoted to this kind of trivial stuff whenever people are out there being murdered, robbed, and raped? For God's sake.
Click to expand...


Cops are usually looking for it. my uncle was sheriff in my hometown and he loved busting hetros getting it on. Had a big spotlight on his car.

There wasn't much murder and rape in my hometown, though.
 
Darla said:
"Police officially charged him with "solicitation for crimes against nature"

I do not support that law usc. It states that the guy asked the other guy if he wanted to go somewhere private with him to have sex. That is no crime, and can't even be stretched into one like people did with the Craig thing, by saying that he was soliticing to have a sex act take place in a public spot.

Wow, this is so nazi like, they must be kidding me.
Click to expand...
"Crimes against nature?" Like teaching Creationism, maybe? That's certainly a crime against nature.
 
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